Not even a year before the release of his first full-length album, American gospel and soul singer Leon Bridges was washing dishes at Del Frisco’s Grille in Fort Worth, Texas. Upon randomly meeting Austin Jenkins and Joshua Black—members of "White Denim", an experimental Indie rock band from Austin, Texas—Bridges quickly became the missing piece, the vocal asset, of their new project.
Bridges’ debut album "Coming Home", released on June 23, takes old-school sounds from the 1950s and '60s and twists them into a fresh, new Southern gospel and soul doo-wop. Bridges’ naturally smooth, Sam Cooke-esque voice has the ability to pluck at the heartstrings of everyone who gives this album a listen.
Not only is his music authentic to the era of "The Temptations", James Brown and Otis Redding, but Bridges’ outfit choices and recording equipment stay true to this vintage style as well. His tight look of high-rise Wranglers, thrift store tucked-in collared shirts and penny loafers make me wonder if this twenty-six-year-old traveled through decades of time to refresh us millennials on the idea that good music and good style go hand-in-hand.
According to Eric Griffery from Fort Worth Weekly, Niles City Sound, Bridges’ makeshift recording studio, “…looks like a shantytown, with its walls made of blankets and sheets held together by bungee cords and plastic clips…a collection of equipment that looks like props from the set of a ‘50s-era sci-fi movie”-- perfectly fitting for an artist who matches sounds with looks.
Hitting Spotify’s Top Ten most-played within a month of the song’s release, “Coming Home” provided listeners with an accurate and exciting preview for what Bridges’ album "Coming Home" would sound like just a few months later. From cover to cover, "Coming Home" is stacked with tunes that will make you want to twist, groove, and find out when the next album comes out. Be sure to listen to “Better Man,” “Smooth Sailin’” and “Coming Home” on 91.5 WGRE.