Anyone who’s “friends” with Leonard Cohen on Facebook will have received a lovely surprise in their news feed this morning — a brand spanking new song from his forthcoming album Old Ideas, streaming for free via Soundcloud. And as if that wasn’t enough, the song — which is entitled “Darkness” — is also really good. It starts with a moody flamenco-influenced intro that’s decidedly reminiscent of Songs of Love and Hate track “Avalanche,” before expanding into a mid-tempo Hammond-driven ballad. The lyric manages to poke fun at Cohen’s reputation as the Grand Overlord of Melancholy (“I caught the darkness,” indeed) but also functions as a latter-day “Tower of Song”-style reflection on mortality — especially the bit where he sings “I got no future/ I know my days are few…” in a way that’s so matter-of-fact that it’s quietly heartbreaking. Anyway, have a listen after the jump and let us know what you think.