The first album from Texas soul singer Leon Bridges is a spellbinding shift in time.
Bridges opens a channel into the Kennedy era/Johnson administration period of American soul music – the classic time that set the template for the genre.
Coming Home isn’t dabbling in the genre, it’s a full immersion in the sound of that time. Bridges’ vocal inspiration derives from Sam Cooke and he takes his cue from the gospel derived delivery and pop song smoothness that Cooke combined.
This recording is a glimpse into the phenomenon of how a sound and style can reach across decades to touch someone and reawaken a style. It’s uncanny but it’s real.
The production and presentation follow suit. The analog recording equipment that was used sounds warm and deep and the songs are short and dreamy.
It’s a focussed album.
The title track sums up the mood and appeal of the album: it’s a wistful look back at simpler times. Lisa Sawyer, a dedication to Bridges’ mother, is a slinky biographical homage that is an evocation of an era: big cars, AM radios, polka dot dresses and no internet culture. But it’s bittersweet as well – the era it channels had assassination, war and a huge cultural shift on the horizon.
What’s the point? In the context of today, it’s about the discovery of a new voice.
Bridges is an artist whose sound seems fully developed from the start – so he’s going to have more to say. If it’s a throwback, it opens a door on the rediscovery of important sounds from simpler times. Popular music forms have always looked back, gathered inspiration and moved on. Besides that, this just sounds great.
– Dean Gordon-Smith is a Vernon-based musician who writes about the latest releases for The Morning Star.
