Cults is one of my favourite new bands and Leonard Cohen is a songwriter I’ve loved for most of my life, so when I learned today that the band had covered a classic Cohen song I was excited. Cults’ take on the song is every bit as haunting as Cohen’s and it’s a great tribute.
The cover was featured at The Guardian, and the piece describes a shift in tone the band has brought to their performances.
Here, Cults slow it down, strip out the cheesy synth line (it was the 80s) and introduce a drum beat, shimmering guitars and a sense of foreboding. While Cohen expresses his disillusionment through detachment, Cults’ Madeline Follin delivers each line with eyes clenched shut, as if she hasn’t quite given up yet.