Leon Bridges - Gold-Diggers Sound ALBUM REVIEW

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Oddly enough, I was listening to Kanye’s “Gold Digger” when I saw that this was announced.


Leon Bridges is an enigma in music right now. He’s popular with fans and critics alike. Even most casual music listeners know who he is and enjoy his music. His debut album, Coming Home, is honestly one of my favorite R&B albums of the decade. For better or for worse, it feels like a love letter to the sounds of the 60s and 70s. Some have been pretty adamant that he relies on this sound a little too much, and granted, his voice is very reminiscent of an Otis Redding, but I’m a fan of that sound so it doesn’t bother me too much. On his newest album, Gold-Diggers Sound, Bridges’s sound palette changes from the psychedelic 60s soul to a more traditional pop-soul sound. How does it stand? Let’s find out.

Starting off with the lyrics, I guess they’re a little typical for pop-soul in this vein. The main goal for the lyrics on here is to back up Bridges’s vocals and they certainly do that job. Speaking of vocals, Bridges sounds as great as ever on here. When he sings about romance or drifting apart from a lover, it seems genuine. The instrumentals that accompany Bridges are pretty stellar too, especially with a Robert Glasper-produced track and multiple contributions from Terrace Martin. I thought it would be a little tricky for Bridges to transition to more of a modern sound, but the producers here make a perfect fit for him. I also have to talk about “Why Don’t You Touch Me,” which is possibly the best song of his career so far. His vocals, the production, the writing… It all works here and meshes so perfectly. If you listen to any song off this album, listen to this one.

Even one of my favorite R&B artists can still surprise me. Gold-Diggers Sound is a pretty great showing, honestly. Accompanied by a more modern sound, Leon Bridges is ushered into a new era of his career without losing any of the talent that made him into a household name. I don’t think it’s his best album mainly because of how personal his debut is to me, but this gets pretty damn close.


8/10


Listen here

YouTube Music




Gold-Diggers Sound is a Columbia Records release.

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