Leon Bridges
Coming Home
(Columbia Records)

Texas soul artist Leon Bridges releases a stellar debut with Coming Home, a sort of homage to the music of Sam Cooke. Though the guitarist has stated that only in recent years has he started listening to the legendary Cooke, the 25-year old Fort Worth native did create an album that harkens back to the glory days of ’60s soul and doo-wop records. The sweetest thing about Bridges is that he’s a storyteller. He structures songs in a way that begs to be heard, felt and swayed to; church organs and horns are included. It’s quite magnetic – like Cooke. Thanks to vintage clothing shops, even his attire is a throwback to that era. To craft a playlist of enduring songs, Bridges worked with indie rockers Austin Jenkins and Josh Block of White Denim. Coming Home features several songs worth mentioning, such as “Better Man” (about being an improved person), “Brown Skin Girl” (the beauty of a woman), “Lisa Sawyer” (his loving mother) and “River” (a bit of soul-searching). Either way, if you like your music a bit retro, but still current, Coming Home is the album for you.