Rolling Stone - 4 stars out of 5 -- "This is Cohen's gift to music lovers: a realistically grim, spiritually radiant and deeply poetic worldview, generally spiked with a romantic thrum and an existential wink."

Spin - "Cohen has long been preoccupied with death, and never more so than on the eve of his own passing."

Entertainment Weekly - "The production, by his son Adam, is lush but lean: Crisp guitar lines, the steady whispery whisk of percussion, and the occasional orchestral flourish surround vocals that sound like they've spent the past six decades in a rock tumbler lined with gravel and mescal." -- Grade: A-

Paste (magazine) - "Making peace with the world and oneself is a theme that runs throughout YOU WANT IT DARKER. Tracks like 'Treaty,' 'Leaving The Table,' 'On The Level' and 'Traveling Light' each examine the duties and pitfalls of mortal life."

Uncut (magazine) - "[I]t's hard to imagine a richer, finer or more satisfying finale than this. There's no question the man's earned his smoke break."