The tragic financial circumstances surrounding Leonard Cohen’s return to the stage can’t mute its triumph. Any night spent in his presence is a celebration of an iconic lyricist and songwriter, but as all who’ve seen him recently can attest, his stamina and virility at 74 make the hours feel more about his power now than a detached appreciation of a historic songbook. As noted when we posted “Petrified Forest,” Lewis & Clarke’s new EP features a cover of Leonard’s classic “Chelsea Hotel #2.” It’s hard to fuck up the classic ode to Cohen’s affair with Janis Joplin, its blowjobs on rumpled sheets and poetic nostalgia, and obviously Lewis & Clarke don’t. It’s also hard to do anything new with something so thoroughly covered, but the tune is well suited to the band’s tender and pensive balladic style, vocalist Lou Rogai digging into each syllable with a worn heart and guitars, wurlitzer, and gentle drums at his back. L&C covering LC is a nice listen:

• Lewis & Clarke – “Chelsea Hotel #2″Download

Lewis & Clarke’s Light Time EP is out via La Société Expéditionnaire. The Cohen cover is a bonus on the limited pressing of 500 colored vinyl 12″s. They’re on tour, a couple of shows with Bat For Lashes:

04/28 – Kittery, ME @ Buoy %
04/29 – Scranton, PA @ The Bog%
04/30 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom@
05/01 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church@
05/02 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg@

% w/ Matt Bauer
^ w/ Tigersaw
@ w/ Bat For Lashes