Album Review – Like a Man
Like a Man
Adam Cohen
EMI Music Canada
Bob Dylan, George Harrison, John Lennon, and Bob Marley had their children Jakob, Dhani, Sean, Julian, Ziggy and Damian follow their fathers’ legendary musical footsteps. Adam Cohen, at 39, embraces the fact that he too is the offspring of one of Canada’s greatest musicians; his father being Leonard Cohen. Cohen’s third album Like a Man is his first solo album since his 2004 French-language record Mélancolista.
Like a Man is a very whimsical, adult romance album laced with poetic and philosophical lyrics. There’s no doubt Cohen has inherited his father’s talent; however this album shows Cohen pushing his identity as a serious musician with simple bare acoustic arrangements and romantic lyrics. With simple guitar plucks on a nylon string, Cohen’s voice exerts maturity as he explores what it is to be a man, to treat women right and to fulfill a lover’s fantasies. Any reminiscence to his father’s 1970s album New Skin for Old Ceremonies is purely intentional.
Cohen tells a tale of a brief encounter in “Matchbox” with a tender but passionate tune. He sounds pitiful in the title track “Like a Man” with lyrics like “I don’t wanna love you like a man/ by being above you like a man/ I don’t wanna hurt you like a man/ but that’s what I am.” “Sweet Dominique” is a song of sensuality and lovemaking. With gentle strums and female backup vocals, Cohen paints himself as the perfect lover with his astute observations in “What Other Guy.” Some might be cheesed off with Cohen’s ninth track, “Beautiful”: lyrics like “Thank you for being beautiful” may seem clichéd and over-rated, even those for those romantic sorts.
Cohen’s ten-song album would make a great soundtrack for any adult romance; however, it may seem desperate and a little corny to others. Actually, this might make a perfect Valentine’s Day gift for those who love to spend their Saturday mornings just laying in bed and rustling it out under the covers.
-Tisha Raj
