By Manal Sheikh
Adam Cohen’s third solo album is much more connected to his family tree than his previous works. In the style of his father, Leonard Cohen, Adam uses a nylon string guitar and his husky and melancholic voice to sing simple, sweet and poetic love songs dedicated, in part, to all his past girlfriends.
Like a Man, devoted to the young son who inspired his return to music, is a wonderfully introspective glimpse into the complex and deeply intimate relationships between a father and son, between lovers and between those fleeting moments when strangers connect. It is deeply reminiscent of his father’s work, undoubtedly a major influence on the younger Cohen, but there is an undeniable undercurrent of Adam himself. His lyrics are more straightforward, tender and sparse than his father’s.
As the name of the album indicates, Adam Cohen has come into his own. The delicately crafted lyrics range from whimsical with the richly layered imagery of “Out of Bed” (“I’d start a new religion based on your silhouette”) to earthy in the breathy and slowly strummed “Sweet Dominique” (“Our clothes began to wrinkle like bed sheets”). Like a Man is a gorgeous tribute to Adam Cohen’s genes — a continuity of sorts that he finally wants be a part of.