/ 15 September 2014

Pre-stream: Leonard Cohen’s album ‘Popular Problems’

Leonard Cohen is releasing his 13th studio album 'Popular Problems' on September 22.
Leonard Cohen is releasing his 13th studio album 'Popular Problems' on September 22.

In Popular Problems, Leonard Cohen’s 13th studio album, he sets a new tone, a new speed of hope and despair, grief and joy. 

Popular Problems will be released on September 22, three days after his 80th birthday. The album was produced by Patrick Leonard, mastered at Marcussen Mastering and was recorded and mixed by Jesse E. String with additional mixing by Bill Bottrell.

Cohen is a songwriter, musician, poet, novelist and visual artist with a career spanning six decades. 

His explorations of spiritual, interpersonal, romantic and political themes have made an impact on countless contemporary recording artists and writers. He has sold over 23 million albums, worldwide and published 12 books, the most recent of which was 2006’s Book of Longing, a collection of poetry, prose and drawings, which reached number one on the Top 10 Hardcover Fiction Books in Canada.   

When Cohen was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in March 2008, the revered Lou Reed singled out Leonard as one of the “highest and most influential echelon of songwriters.” Cohen’s songbook has been covered by hundreds of recording artists including Jeff Buckley, Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, Johnny Cash, Lou Reed, Tori Amos, Nick Cave, Joan Baez, Harry Belafonte, Rufus Wainwright and the Civil Wars. 

Tribute albums have been released in Cohen’s honour in France, Norway, Canada, Spain, Swedish, Czech Republic, South Africa and the United States. In 2008 Cohen’s Hallelujah became the fastest-selling digital single in European history when three separate versions of the song appeared simultaneously on the UK singles chart – Cohen’s own original recording, a version from Jeff Buckley and another from X Factor winner Alexandra Burke. 

Pre-order Popular Problems and receive an instant download of his new song, Almost Like The Blues.

Popular Problems track list: 

Slow

Almost Like The Blues 

Samson In New Orleans 

A Street 

Did I Ever Love You 

My Oh My 

Nevermind 

Born In Chains 

You Got Me Singing