Grammy-nominated, contemporary soul singer Leon Bridges ‘steps up his game’ on his sophomore album, ‘Good Thing.’

Contemporary soul singer Leon Bridges returns following a three-year hiatus with his highly-anticipated sophomore album, Good Thing. Bridges first stood out with his Grammy-nominated debut album, Coming Home, due to his intentional acknowledgement and remembrance of soul music in its glory age.  That acknowledgement – paying ode to genre – continues on Good Thing, an album that minimally matches, though arguably exceeds his debut.

“Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand” 

Soul enthusiasts will feel like they returned to their heyday listening to “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand”. The old-school shtick is alive, with harp arpeggios, glockenspiel, strings, and a lush backdrop.  The production is perfect fuel for Bridges’ fire, regardless whether he needed the extra spark or not.  He definitely sounds much more confident and mature on “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand.”  The falsetto is formidable, while chest voice is incredibly commanding and emotional. Adding to the jubilance is the solid songwriting with an undeniably prudent message. Short and sweet, the stellar opener just crosses the three-minute mark.

“Bad Bad News” contrasts the balladry of “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand.” Mid-tempo, “Bad Bad News” isn’t too fast, feeling relatively comfortable. It successfully fuses soul and jazz. That said, there’s a dash of hip-hop as well, with the shout outs tastefully incorporated by the call-and-response sections. Bridges sounds stellar, fully invested, delivering a balanced vocal performance.  For the old souls out there, “Bad Bad News” is anything but that.  Adding to the goodness are the horns, with the jazz guitar soloing being the crème de la crème.

“Beyond”

“Shy” has a tough act to follow but does so successfully. It features simplistic but effective production work. One of the best features of this mid-tempo, romantic joint is its memorable chorus.

“I just want to see you, you could come over
I know ya shy, you can be shy with me
You know I need you and I’m not quite sober
I know ya shy baby, you can be shy, shy it’s alright.”

“Beyond” is definitely characterized by its intentional soulfulness, not to mention finding legitimate, true love.  The throwback vibes on the third advanced single from Good Thing exemplify the artistry of Bridges without question. “Beyond” doesn’t quite match the grandeur of the one-two punch of the opening duo – perhaps it’s missing that extra something or it feels a wee bit schmaltzy – but it’s still pleasant.

Leon Bridges shows the spirit of forgiveness on the mid-tempo “Forgive You.” Essentially, the narrative finds Bridges going ‘above and beyond’ in the relationship only to be left ‘high and dry.’ Despite the circumstances, he shows he’s the bigger person.  This maturity is a rarity in contemporary music – he deserves a lot of credit for serving up some substance. “Lions” is one of the more unique songs.  It’s clearly built upon the principles of classic soul, and it’s certainly not modern-sounding urban contemporary music, but it stands out because it’s a bit ‘left of center.’ Compared to some of the safer moments from Coming Home, this is a progressive step for Bridges.

“If it Feels Good (Then it Must Be)”

If “Lions” was too ‘quirky,’ “If it Feels Good (Then it Must Be)” is good ole, feel-good, grown-folks R&B.  It’s groovy and sexy in the most innocent, mature way possible. Bridges lets his falsetto loose, never giving in too much into the indulgence of ‘what’s going down’ or ‘going to go down.’ Steppers can continue to groove on a second consecutive feel-good joint, “You Don’t Know.”

Bridges finally slows things down on the most sensual cut of Good Thing, “Mrs.” Even though he’s more ‘risqué’ (“Sometimes I wonder what we holding on for / Then you climb on top of me and I remember”), he never comes close to crossing the lines of his contemporaries.  It’s great to hear him ‘lose his cool.’ Closer “Georgia to Texas” is in the same league as the likes of “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand” and “Bad Bad News.” The authentic, personal nature of the record makes it top-notch.  The jazzy touches, including a saxophone solo by Jeff Dazey, also contribute to the excellence.

Final Thoughts

All in all, Leon Bridges delivers an enjoyable, well-rounded sophomore album with Good Thing.  Short and sweet, this effort benefits from its ten-track, 34-minute duration.  While the vocals are consistently strong, and the soulfulness on autopilot, Good Thingisn’t particularly flashy.  It doesn’t need to be, but honestly, that’s the only drawback of note, and it’s nitpicking.

Gems: “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand,” “Bad Bad News,” “If it Feels Good (Then it Must Be),” “Mrs.” & “Georgia to Texas”  

Leon Bridges • Good Thing • Columbia • Release: 5.4.18

Photo Credit: Columbia