Leon Bridges: Retro Soul/R&B..WOW.

Just heard Leon Bridges for the first time today....whether he's the next (fill in the blank) or not, I'll leave that to others to decide. I just like what I am hearing - an enjoyable retro groove.

 

spot on.

 

Burn me at the stake if you want to but I'm hearing nothing that grabs me here. The songs are very ordinary and it just doesn't cook like this kind of music should. A few much better examples of "retro-soul" would be Mayer Hawthorne, Leela James and even Shawn Lee's "Soul in the Hole" album.

 

Leon Bridges’ Coming Home To Texas Mixtape Combines His Songs With Houston Rap Classics
http://www.stereogum.com/1828214/le...nes-his-songs-with-houston-rap-classics/mp3s/

"Leon Bridges is a neo-soul revivalist straight out of Houston whose debut album Coming Home felt like it was taken whole cloth from an era 50 or 60 years in the past. Accordingly, some critics interpreted this as a weakness or ghost in Bridges’ potential career. Perhaps in response to this, or perhaps in unknown contradiction to it, he’s now released what amounts to a chopped-and-screwed and rap-verses-tacked-on version of his debut called Coming Home To Texas."

 

I was psyched about this album. But after purchasing it and giving it a few listens, I have to say, something just falls flat. I can't put my finger on it-maybe it's the songs themselves, maybe it's the lack of dynamics, but it just becomes vanilla to my ears. A talented guy and I look forward to more from him. I was just underwhelmed with this release.

 

It's just my opinion. But it appears I'm not the only one.

 

He did a 30 minute set for the London iTunes Music Festival this week that can be streamed via Apple Music , iTunes, Apple TV, etc.

 

While I like this Leon Briddges album I am not floored by it much like the Michael Kiwanuka of a couple years back. They are both still appreciated. Something that has me floored is the band Vintage Trouble. I came across mention of them in another thread. Though a harder edge soul/funk/blues /rock than the Leon was intended to be I am loving this up to date take on a retro sound. I picked up both their albums.

 

Thanks for the heads up!

 

It was a 9-song set. I haven't really gotten to dive in yet, but the set list was:

1. River
2. Smooth Sailin'
3. Brown Skin Girl
4. Pull Away
5. Better Man
6. Flowers
7. Lisa Sawyer
8. Twistin' And Groovin'
9. Coming Home

So basically the album minus "Shine."

 

Bought this after reading about it here and quite like it. Will be interested to hear what he does next.

 

Thanks a bunch.

 

My vinyl pressing of this release sounds like ****.

 

The 24/96 download sounds great.

 

Well said. The production is alright, but it sounds more like an approximation of the classic albums made by all the great influential artists. I'm not certain the recordings on that album adequately captured the energy of Leon's live performances.

 

Am liking this album more than when it first came out.

Not sure if it's my mindset or if expectations were previously too high, but really enjoying it now.

Lots of interesting subtleties in his voice.

 

Very interesting. Many of the album reviews on the first one have compared Leon to the likes of Sam Cooke, but it doesn't seem fair for music critics to make such comparisons to other artists. Leon needs to be at a point where he can express who he is, not what other people want him to be or how they personally perceive him and that's why "Coming Home To Texas" album could be the much-needed catalyst.

 

Folks who like Leon Bridges might also like to check out the album Half the City by St Paul and the Broken Bones, on Single Lock /Thirty Tigers.

They are actually a white band (not that it matters a ****) led by a guy called Paul Janeway.

I think they may come out of the South (?), but the album was done at Muscle Shoals in Alabama anyway.

If you'll forgive the (invidious) comparison, what Leon Bridges is to Sam Cooke, Paul/St Paul is to Otis Redding/Stax...

 

Sounds like a classic porn soundtrack..and I love it!

 

totally agree style master, and nothing else.

 

As much as I'm pleased to see this help spark interest in classic soul / R&B, I can't help but also wonder how many kids listening to it think this is a wholly original style.

I can't remember the last time I heard an artist so blatantly copy a sound without adding anything new to the mix. Even the recordings themselves are a facsimile of that 60's Motown mastering.

 

Still digging it. My wife loves the record so it's been on heavy rotation. I like it more now that I did when it was released. YMMV.

Also not sure about the SQ complaints. I was fairly impressed with my vinyl copy. I gave the download away to a buddy who was dying for a copy.

Sure, you could say it's derivative but I say it's just good. I'll take it. Of course I'm into Daptone, Ubiquity, etc. so this is definitely something that would be in my radar.

 

I respectfully disagree he is not adding anything new. There is so much feeling in these recordings.