Old Ideas: Notes On Dear Heather

Leonard never said much about the direction of Dear Heather. But out of twenty tracks, a certain feeling of lightness arose about the songs that made the final cut. I can’t describe it exactly because it’s an intangible thing, but if you heard them all you’d know what I meant.
Anjani Thomas (from the interview for Anjani's site)

Leonard had the very clear intention to try something different for Dear Heather. He talked about not wanting to be bound by the »song form«... (H)e started working largely on his own, spending hours at a time at his keyboard. We're all very used to records that are comprised of a series of »songs« with a beginning, middle and end, but Leonard was going for something else with this record.
Sharon Robinson (from the interview for A Thousand Kisses Deep)

Dear Heather is a departure from Leonard’s previous records. His lyrics have always read as poems; there is no concession made when setting the words to music. But with this record he wasn’t bound to the traditional verse/chorus format. And the arrangements are a backdrop for a speaking voice that is so mesmerizing; you don’t need to hear a hook-laden melody too. I think it’s a remarkable record, full of light and depth. I loved what one critic said, and I'm paraphrasing here, »it’s probably Cohen’s best record since The Future, but we won’t figure that out until twenty years from now.«
Anjani Thomas (from the interview for Anjani's site)