There’s a story that has been circulating around for a while about a conversation between Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan, where at one point Cohen asked Dylan how long it took him to write ‘Just Like a Woman’, with Dylan answering: “15 minutes”. Dylan then reportedly asked Cohen how long it took him to write ‘Hallelujah’, with Cohen answering: “A few years”. Later, Cohen added in an interview: “I lied. It took me 7 years”.
Now, there are a few variations in this story, but the point is, it takes artists different times to come up with music, particularly the good stuff. So it is no wonder that it took Brooklyn via Philadelphia artist Mike Cyril five years (between 2020 and 2025) to come up with 10 songs that comprise his new album Radiant Sorrow.
What is even more important, though, is that this seemingly elongated process brought some excellent music from Cyril – all the songs sound complete, detailed in their structure, arrangements, and personal lyrics, yet personal lyrics that quite a few listeners can relate to.
And in such a case that is basically what matters when you are in a position of a listener – what took quite a bit a time for an artist, in this case Cyril to come up was was worth all the brief or not so brief minutes it took a listener to hear any specific song here.
In effect, Cyril, whose vocal delivery and intricate moods can recall better known artists like Nick Cave, came up with an album that matters, no matter how long it took him to come up with it.
