This album starts off with “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand”, and I’m actually totally into the very whimsical sound here. At first, I thought I was totally gonna hate his music with some more glamorous production. However, this is incredibly charming and shows Leon breaking out into his most impressive vocals I’ve ever heard. This is one hell of a ballad, and there still is a very retro flair to this. In a way, this really is a perfect way that Leon could have slightly updated his sound. It’s endearing, and it has a slow jam vibe that’s really likable. For an intro, I’m into this big time. But then we get “Bad Bad News”, and man oh man is this the funky twist I didn’t see coming. This is classy, with some serious blues and obvious funk vibes. It’s once again dripping in retro influences. But Leon does it just so well that it doesn’t come off as so much of a reach. There are some bluesy guitars and his vocals are slick, to a point where they are absolutely dripping with cool. I’m not a dancin’ man, but this one seriously has some fantastic grooves to it. I have to say though, I love just how much Leon is coming out of his shell so far. Now, I actually seriously love a lot of the production here. This one has a nice vintage flair to it, it just sounds so beaten down. Once again, this is just so bluesy and I love how smooth this track is. Honestly, Leon sounds incredible, and you can’t say that he’s holding on too hard to the past. The hook is mesmerizing, it’s got a solid riff, and I seriously love the endearing tone to this one. It’s certainly sexy, but it’s also seriously sweet in a way. Plus, I love this entire story of two lovers who are both shy, being shy together. There’s a whole lot to love so far. Now, I’ll be honest, of all the singles I’m not really that into “Beyond”. I certainly dig how breezy it is, and Leon’s vocals give me the chills here. But I just feel like too much of this track sounds like a cover, which is something I always worry about with Leon. It’s alright while it’s on. But it also just sounds way too much like a track that Leon sounds like he’s written in the past. That being said, it’s still very steamy and pleasant to listen to.
Then we have “Forgive You”, which is just as beaten down, sweet and smooth. I absolutely love how intense Leon sounds here. He sounds just so heartbroken, but I would be lying if I said Leon hasn’t ever sounded stronger. It’s not his usual sweet, romantic ballad. But it works, and it seriously hits home emotionally. The instrumental is a little more modern, slightly at least. But Leon seems totally comfortable and just as cool. Then we have “Lions” which takes things back in a funkier direction. And it’s not absolutely terrible. But this beat is really throwing me off. It’s just really hard to place and ends up being more distracting than anything. I really love Leon’s very bluesy and raspy performance. It’s honestly one of my favorite performances of his here. But everything else about this instrumental is so far from where I wanted to hear from him. The simplicity of his early stuff placed so much more emphasis on Leon, and that’s what made it work. But here, this instrumental is way too distracting for my taste. On the other hand, “If It Feels Good (Then It Must Be)” is just about the last thing I was expecting to hear. It’s upbeat, almost electro-funk, I can see fans of Chromeo being really into this. It’s upbeat, and seriously the most fun track here. Not to mention, it’s so great to hear Leon with so much swagger. This is the last track I expected to hear from Leon, but it works wonderfully, and hot damn is it every funky. And what do you know, we actually get another track in this same sort of style with “You Don’t Know”. There’s almost a little bit of disco flair to this. And while the beat is just sort of average, I thick Leon totally sounds right at home on this. I love his vocals and those very classy synths, and it’s just so great to hear Leon having some fun. Now, I know what a lot of people are going to say. And yes, this is far from the same album of music Leon was pumping out in the past. And hey, if you were really into that album this may not be for you. But I personally think Leon overall is doing great with broadening his sound.
Now, to hear a stripped down Soul track after all of this from Leon, it’s practically thrilling and honestly makes it even more effective. I freakin’ love how soft this one is and just how soulful it gets. It’s also one of the steamier moments here. And not so surprisingly, this all goes over incredibly well for Leon and makes me want to hear more in this style. This album ends off with “Georgia to Texas”, and this one once again is super stripped down. But I’ll be honest, for me, it’s a little too stripped down to the point where I’m desperately waiting for something to happen. And eventually, we do get some really cool Jazz elements which are certainly well done. But I just can’t really get to this as a finale. I feel like this just isn’t Leon’s strong spot. I think the Jazzy elements are nice and this is certainly smooth. Not to mention, Leon sounds awesome. But there are so many styles clashing that it just gets distracting.
Rating: 7.9/10
Give A Listen To: "Mrs.", "Bad Bad News", "Forgive You", "If It Feels Good (Then It Must Be)"
Genre: Soul / Funk
Overall Thoughts: Leon Bridges may have spent his entire debut saluting the past of R&B and Soul, but there was absolutely no doubt that he did it wonderfully. This time around though, Leon is pushing out into a slew of genres, like modern Soul, Funk, even a slight Dance vibe as well. And for the most part, it's a really interesting and well thought out album. We learn more about who Leon is, and he gives us some of his most emotional performances yet. A few tracks to me still have this serious issue of sounding too much like a cover song. But Leon's working on it, and sounding great. Sure, if you were super into the rustic sound of his debut this may be a little pissed at the updated production. But I personally think he's transitioned wonderfully, and I'm curious to see where he goes next.
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