Laurie Hope
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Leonard Cohen gets new life!
A true tribute to genius Leonard Cohen, Smitty and Julija have a real respect for the depth of the lyrics and deliver them in a way that we can really hear them.
There’s a great balance between the two voices, combined and solo. Smitty keeps the tunes grounded and true to Leonard’s style while Julija brings a dimension of sublime beauty and intuitive grace to the melodies. Both give heartfelt and honest performances.
I love how full and rich the accompaniments are without getting over the top. The arrangements keep the music moving along nicely.
My only objection is that after these 7 lovely cuts I wanted more….
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Zoe Murdock
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A perfect offering . . .
I’ve listened to the songs of Leonard Cohen for years, and have always been struck by the way they open my heart and mind to something deeply human and authentic. The seven songs on this tribute album from Smitty West and Julija Zonic are some of his most powerful songs in terms of that effect.
Cohen’s songs are never easy, he can’t seem to rest until he has reached a point of perfect equilibrium. The play of opposites continues back and forth until all sides of the emotional equation have been explored and laid out in a perfect tenuous balance. When I listen to Cohen sing his songs, it feels like I have entered the sacred interior space of a mind engaged in a critical internal dialogue. It is a fragile mind, that forces itself to continue down through the layers, no matter how painful it is, no matter how hard, until it reaches the core of compassion and understanding.
What fascinates me about this album from Smitty and Julija, is the way they bring that internal dialogue out into the space of the world, enacting the conversation, as if it were a play, a tragedy, perhaps. The story proceeds from one song to the next, from beginning to end, moving through a whole spectrum of human emotions. The script belongs to Leonard Cohen, but Smitty and Julija understand their parts. They know what the songs are about, and it is evident that they have lived life fully and know how it feels to love, to suffer, to feel joy and compassion. Smitty’s expression comes vibrantly through his voice, which is deep and resonant and fine, but it also comes through his hands on the keyboard and from his anticipation and love of what is to come when his own voice retreats: Julija’s voice. She soars. She expresses every nuance of every emotion, perfectly. The movement between the two of them is sublime. It’s balanced. It’s rich. Neither one demands too much, neither retreats. It is just as the songs require.
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