180 Gram Vinyl. Includes a copy of the CD.

Leonard Cohen seems to poke fun at the notion of a thoroughly established and beloved artist releasing new material in his 70s with the title Old Ideas. In actuality, it’s fitting, as Cohen returns to form in a manner that is musically reminiscent of his early classics, full of somber details sung in his trademark nearly spoken-word style over deep, atmospheric blues. Cohen seems to be staring down death throughout Old Ideas (“I thought the past would last me/But the darkness got that too” he sings in the sumptuous “Darkness”), but he injects his lyrics with such energy and humor that it never feels overly dour — he calls himself “a lazy bastard living in a suit” in the album’s gorgeous opener, “Going Home.” With a healthy dose of lovely, gospel-tinged backup vocals and subtle acoustic guitar and piano, especially on “Come Healing” and “Banjo,” Cohen ensures the collection feels celebratory rather than elegiac, hinting that his old ideas could continue to conjure up new classics for years to come.

Also available on CD.