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THE REVIEW
The Future (1992), is Leonard Cohen's last great album.
In this work, Cohen demonstrates that "Various Positions" and "I'm Your Man", the albums that preceded it, were not flashes in the pan; the truth is that Cohen had truly returned to greatness after a dark decade (74-83). The tone of the album is nonetheless relaxed and sometimes even happy, although we cannot help but notice the apocalyptic end-of-millennium vibes of the lyrics. When asked to comment on the 9/11 attacks, Cohen simply referred the interviewer to the lyrics of three of his songs: "The Future", "Anthem" and "Closing Time". There isn't space here to provide translations of these lyrics, but I highly recommend reading them.
The entire album is suffused with an atmosphere of sinister premonitions and the end of something ("Closing Time", indeed, closing time). Evidently, Cohen observed things deeply, managing to perceive what was in the air better than the intelligence services...
Within this very inspired album, we find refined and adult pop that is somewhat dark. But as we know, the word Pop has very little to do with Cohen; you have to let yourself be carried away by the emotions and nothing more.
The first song in this collection is also the one that gives it its name. The Future is a virile pop-rock tune with Cohen's hoarse shouter voice, a bit macho and glossy (intentional, not an end in itself).
"There’ll be the breaking of the ancient Western code / Your private life will suddenly explode / There’ll be phantoms / there’ll be fires on the road
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Summary by Bot
Leonard Cohen's 1992 album The Future marks his last great work, showcasing a mature return after a challenging decade. The album blends dark, apocalyptic themes with a relaxed and sometimes happy tone. Its lyrics, full of ominous premonitions, remain strikingly relevant years later. The music is refined, emotional, and defies typical pop conventions, demanding listeners fully engage with its atmosphere.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen (born 1934 in Montreal) was a Canadian poet, novelist and singer-songwriter who released his debut album in 1967 and recorded and performed through the 2010s. He died in 2016.33 Reviews
