LEONARD COHEN
Dear Heather
Columbia
Leonard Cohen jalostaa uutuudellaan Ten New Songsin (2001) tunnelmia yrittämättä peitellä imagoaan varttuneena naistenmiehenä ja rakkauden asiantuntijana. Dear Heather on ehdottomasti myöhäisillan tai keskiyön musiikkia ja tarkoitettu nautittavaksi korkeintaan kaksin. Hillittyjen kudelmien äärellä Cohen jatkaa vetäytymistään laulajana. Villanelle For Our Timella laulu muuttuu puheeksi, niukalla ja häikäisevän kauniilla The Lettersillä naisääni astuu rinnalle ja Undertow'lla luostarista takaisin elämään palannut Cohen tyytyy biisinsä taustalaulajaksi.
Go No More A-Rovingin rakkauden ylistyksen jälkeen Because Of jatkaa tunnustuksellisilla linjoilla: "Women have been exceptionally kind to my old age". Morning Gloryn jazzahtavuus syntyy Van Morrisonin Astral Weeksistä tutuilla keinoilla. On That Dayllä Cohen ei halua muistella syyskuun 11. päivää kahta minuuttia kauempaa eikä myös kevyen folkisella Nightingalella soivan jew's harpin mukanaoloa voi pitää pelkkänä sattumana. Kokonaisuuteen nähden irrallinen liveversio ikivihreästä Tennessee Waltzista muistuttaa levyn lopuksi Cohenin nuoruusvuosien kantrimuusikkoudesta.
Muutamien sovitusten viihteellisyydestä ja naispuolisen taustakuoron ärsyttävyydestä huolimatta Leonard Cohen on jälleen kerran tehnyt pysähdyttävän levyn.
PERTTI OJALA
Soundi Magazine (Finland) gives fours stars (of five)
OK, here´s a rough translation of the Soundi review.
"On his latest offering, Leonard Cohen refines the mood set by "Ten New Songs" (2001), in no way attempting to conceal his image as a mature ladies´ man and an expert on love. "Dear Heather" is strictly for nighttime listening and intended to be enjoyed in the company of one person, at the most. Providing a selection of subdued textures, Cohen proceeds on his withdrawal as a singer. On "Villanelle To Our Time", his singing turns into speaking, on the sparse and dazzlingly beautiful "The Letters" he is supported by a female voice, and on "Undertow", Cohen, who has abandoned the monastery for everyday life, is content to provide the background vocals for his song.
After the praise of love that is "Go No More A-Roving", "Because Of" proceeds in a more confessional vein: "Women have been exceptionally kind to my old age". The jazzy mood of "Morning Glory" is created by means familiar from Van Morrison´s "Astral Weeks". On "On That Day", Cohen refuses to reminisce September 11th for longer than two minutes, and the appearance of the jew´s harp on the airily folkish "Nightingale" is hardly a mere coincidence, either. The live version of evergreen "Tennessee Waltz" - relatively out of joint with the rest of the album - reminds us of Cohen´s country music roots.
Some of the arrangements are rather schmaltzy and the female background vocals are slightly irritating, but Cohen has, nevertheless, once again come up with an awe-inspiring album.
PERTTI OJALA
(I wonder about the reference in the original to "jew´s harp" - what´s wrong with "juutalaisenharppu"?
)
Karri
"On his latest offering, Leonard Cohen refines the mood set by "Ten New Songs" (2001), in no way attempting to conceal his image as a mature ladies´ man and an expert on love. "Dear Heather" is strictly for nighttime listening and intended to be enjoyed in the company of one person, at the most. Providing a selection of subdued textures, Cohen proceeds on his withdrawal as a singer. On "Villanelle To Our Time", his singing turns into speaking, on the sparse and dazzlingly beautiful "The Letters" he is supported by a female voice, and on "Undertow", Cohen, who has abandoned the monastery for everyday life, is content to provide the background vocals for his song.
After the praise of love that is "Go No More A-Roving", "Because Of" proceeds in a more confessional vein: "Women have been exceptionally kind to my old age". The jazzy mood of "Morning Glory" is created by means familiar from Van Morrison´s "Astral Weeks". On "On That Day", Cohen refuses to reminisce September 11th for longer than two minutes, and the appearance of the jew´s harp on the airily folkish "Nightingale" is hardly a mere coincidence, either. The live version of evergreen "Tennessee Waltz" - relatively out of joint with the rest of the album - reminds us of Cohen´s country music roots.
Some of the arrangements are rather schmaltzy and the female background vocals are slightly irritating, but Cohen has, nevertheless, once again come up with an awe-inspiring album.
PERTTI OJALA
(I wonder about the reference in the original to "jew´s harp" - what´s wrong with "juutalaisenharppu"?
)Karri
Thank you very much for your translation, Karri. I always feel a little disheartened when I see the link being in languages other than my own. I still click on it, just in case, but then resign myself to waiting until a generous translator comes along. I agree on the recommended size for the listening audience and, like you, also like the jews harp's appearances.
Thanks, Lizzytysh, I´m glad you appreciate my translation. 
I was in a bit of a hurry typing it so I´m afraid my comment in the end was worded a bit misleadingly. The thing I found weird about the original writer´s mention of the jew´s harp was the fact that he used the English term, rather than the Finnish equivalent, "juutalaisenharppu". As for the sound of the instrument on "Dear Heather", I haven´t gotten to hear the album yet. 
Anyway, "DH" has finally hit the stores in my neck-of-the-woods as well, so I´ll get my hands on it soon.
I definitely liked the jew´s harp on LC´s older material ("Songs From A Room", mainly) so I´m looking forward to hearing it on "DH".
Karri
I was in a bit of a hurry typing it so I´m afraid my comment in the end was worded a bit misleadingly. The thing I found weird about the original writer´s mention of the jew´s harp was the fact that he used the English term, rather than the Finnish equivalent, "juutalaisenharppu". As for the sound of the instrument on "Dear Heather", I haven´t gotten to hear the album yet. Anyway, "DH" has finally hit the stores in my neck-of-the-woods as well, so I´ll get my hands on it soon. I definitely liked the jew´s harp on LC´s older material ("Songs From A Room", mainly) so I´m looking forward to hearing it on "DH".
Karri