Final Leonard Cohen Album Comes to Life

Prior to his passing in November 2016, Leonard Cohen recorded one of the most chilling albums of his life. Co-produced by his son Adam, who played guitar on it, You Want It Darker was released only three weeks before Leonard’s death.

But apparently, that’s not the final word. Bare musical sketches, sometimes little more than vocals, were left behind for another batch of songs that Leonard asked Adam to complete after he was gone. With musical input from various friends and comrades, including Leslie Feist, Damien Rice, Daniel Lanois, Beck, Bryce Dessner (The National), Jennifer Warnes, the Berlin-based choir Cantus Domus and others, Thanks For the Dance will now see release on Nov. 22.

“In composing and arranging the music for his words, we chose his most characteristic musical signatures, in this way keeping him with us,” Adam expounds. “What moves me most about the album is the startled response of those who have heard it. ‘Leonard lives’! they say, one after the other.”