Leonard Cohen’s third album, Songs Of Love And Hate, came out in the late winter of 1971. Again working with producer Bob Johnston, the first half of the album feature longer songs, that can be really dark with few choruses. This starts right away with the intense guitar work of first song “Avalanche”, a dark and moody lament covered in six verses. A children’s choir appears on “Dress Rehearsal Rag” where Cohen sings “That’s not the electric light, my friend/That is your vision growing dim”.
“Love Calls You By Your Name” gets attention right from the start with strings adding a cinematic intensity to Cohen’s poetry. On “Joan of Arc”, Cohen sings for the famous martyr that she is “tired of the war” and wants to wear “a wedding dress”. The most well known song here, “Famous Blue Raincoat” is another cinematic track that is a classic Cohen. No less sullen than anything else on the album, the words “the last time we saw you, you looked so much older” still cut.
The first side of Songs Of Love And Hate can be a tough go. Sounding like Bob Dylan at times but mostly it wallows in sadness. The second side is easier to get through with its intriguing stories. orchestral strings and slightly less moody atmosphere.
7.5/10
The Light Appears 
The world lost so much when Cohen crossed over… brilliant poet and music maker. It’s such a wonder to still have his music and words to savour.