Released: 2019

Genres: Singer-Songwriter, Folk, Poetry

The Musiquarium’s Thanks for the Dance Review Score: 8 out of 10

During the recording sessions for You Want It Darker, Leonard Cohen had recorded vocals for a handful of other tracks, but was unable to finish the project before his passing. With the help of his son Adam to complete the album, the posthumously-released Thanks for the Dance feels like a continuation of the Canadian poet’s final album, providing one last hurrah from one of the greatest songwriters of our time.

Happens to the Heart is comprised of sublime acoustic guitars and eerie piano notes. Moving On is musically-similar to You Want It Darker‘s Travelling Light due to its emotionally-stirring mandolins. The Night of Santiago recounts a romantic encounter, with imagery where the narrator’s lover’s nipples “rose like bread”. The title track is a serene waltz.

The deep bass plucks of It’s Torn bring to mind the iconic bass tone of the famous 1960s session band, The Wrecking Crew. The Hills has a haunting beauty to it, along with ghostly backing vocals. Listen to the Hummingbird caps off the album, with imagery of the titular bird, which has become synonymous with Leonard Cohen.

Thanks for the Dance is sparse and is a brief album at just 29 minutes, but it’s still almost as stunning in execution as its predecessor. Even though it lacked Leonard Cohen’s input on the music, Adam Cohen’s faithful completion of his father’s work makes for a fitting epilogue to the legacy of Leonard Cohen.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Leonard Cohen on Discogs.

Back to the 2019 Album Guide or the Leonard Cohen Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard