Now 70 years old, Cohen delivers an album that's evocative in so many different ways: loss, ageing, vulnerability, longing for the company of those younger than yourself, dismay at world events, faith and more find a place in this 13-track (including a live version of the classic "Tennessee Waltz") offering.
And offering is, in many ways, the right word to use when describing Dear Heather - founded on slow-paced rhythms, delicate instrumentation, and, of course, Cohen's signature rough-hewn, deep vocals, each track is like a gift to be savoured, perhaps for the last time from an individual who has been recording for close on 40 years now.
Few Cohen songs are as simultaneously erotic and terribly touching as "Because Of" which contains lyrics such as - "Because of a few songs/Wherein I spoke of their mystery/Women have been/Exceptionally kind/To my old age."
"The Letters" is another treasure, hymn-like in its delivery and arrangement (the latter courtesy of longtime Cohen creative collaborator, Sharon Robinson, who adds exquisitely paced vocals of her own to the song) and "On That Day" is perhaps the most affecting recording about the 9/11 attacks to have emerged since that day.
Beautifully recorded, Dear Heather is a gift from someone who has never stinted on offering his singular take on the world to his many, many fans.
~Diane Coetzer