Leon Bridges - Coming Home
- Alycia Pietrzak
- Aug 4, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 13, 2021
The voice of Texan singer-songwriter Leon Bridges is often compared to the smooth croon of soul legends Sam Cook and Otis Redding, and his music never fails to transport listeners to a hazy blues bar in the 1960's. And on June 23, 2015, Bridges released he debut album Coming Home, immediately bringing a new era of soul to this generation of listeners.
But this album is much more than its nostalgic sound. Songs like "Shine," "River," and "Lisa Sawyer" (which is a wonderful tribute to Bridges' mother) touch base on faith and forgiveness all while offering reflection on the trial and error of everyday life that many struggle through. For example, Bridges' most popular song off of this album titled "River" has more than 29 million views on YouTube as well as thousands of comments praising its sound and message. As a song about Bridges' deep-rooted connection with religion, his lyrics resonate with many whom feel they, too, have made mistakes that they pray can be forgiven and washed away "down the Jordan." Not only is this song a safe haven for the injured, it is also, for those who do not participate in religion, a beautiful song with unforgettable harmonies and a chorus that is as creative as it is heartfelt.
Despite these songs' relations with Christianity, a large portion of this album is filled with love songs where Bridges sings about the affection and devotion he has for his love interest. Though these tracks are fundamentally about the same topic, Leon never seems repetitive, for he always finds a way to give each song its own creative spin (take "Smooth Sailin'" for example. In this one, Bridges admires the way a woman "sails her ship", and if he were with her, he wouldn't "weigh [her] down"). A personal favorite of mine is "Outta Line"--a track featured on the deluxe version of Coming Home. This song does not dance with love as it does with the others, but it instead revolves around a woman (whose thoughts are voiced by Bridges) and her knowledge of her partner's unfaithful actions. She basically shames him the entire time. This one is a total rock n' roll tune that'll have you laughing and dancing along with it.
After all is said and done, Coming Home is an album for those who are tired of mainstream pop music or simply want to expand their genre interests through modern artists. If you're in possession of a record player and really want to experience these songs in their 1960's style, purchase this album and hide all of your electronics before dancing like no one's watch (brownie points will be distributed to those who don the era's clothing styles as well).
Thank you for reading my very first post! I am new to all of this (especially album reviews) but I feel that I learn better along the way and from my mistakes.
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