Leonard Cohen - The Future (Columbia 1992)

"When they said repent, I wonder what they meant"

This is the perfect disc to soothe post-election depression - "nothing left to do when you're begging for a crumb" Cohen sings and it seems to sum up my feelings at least. With songs like "Waiting For A Miracle", "Democracy" and of course the title track "The Future" it is almost like Cohen saw this bleak time coming and put together this album to help us through. The mood is spooky, Cohen's voice is gravely prophetic, and the lyrics stylistically layer on image after image of a world on fire. This disc originally came out at the end of Bush Sr.'s reign of terror and right before Cohen retreated to a monastery to escape the modern world and find inner peace. He has since come back and quietly put out a few more personal discs but none are as potent or as powerful as The Future. "I don't give a damn about the truth baby, except the naked truth" he sings/speaks and again it hits the emotional mark.

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