Last week I spent some time with alt-country hero Jay Farrar and his band Son Volt. I also learned that the Ordinary Times “Ten Second News” feature was named due to one of their songs. This week we take an exit to some soulful jams. It is a bit of a departure from the typical stuff I have covered here on Saturday Spins. I strive to be eclectic, to listen and appreciate things that sound good. Despite this dude being a moderately well-known R&B/Pop/Soul guy, I discovered him through a collaboration he did with one of my favorite indie bands.

Leon Bridges

Good Thing

2018

Commentary

Leon Bridges occupies a space or two on my shelves because I dig his particular brand of soul. It’s not too poppy, and it isn’t too experimental to seem like it’s a parody. Good Thing is his second album that he has released solo. He released a short EP called Texas Sun with indie/psychedelic rock outfit, Khruangbin, in 2019. Perhaps we will see that here on Saturday Spins soon, who knows. Anyway, I picked this LP up on an online auction.

The artwork is pretty good, simple self-portraits, but with a 70s flair, especially in the script. Another reason I picked this up is that this was the release on 180-gram yellow wax. Looks good, sounds good — 35 minutes of tight soulful jams. The records itself makes for good background music, it kind of gives me the feeling that I am on a boardwalk late at night during the summer.¹Note to self: try this out at the beach next summer.

Generally, I save the Fun Facts! for its own section, but I’ll get it out the way now. I was listening to the record and poring over the liner notes and I noticed a name I recognized in the personnel. I come from a tiny town, I mean like middle of nowhere, no opportunities, crumbling, drugs, corrupt politicians²Big time, small time dicks., etc. So, when I saw a name I recognized on a major label release, I had to research further.

I used to run cross country with this dude name Victor Dimotsis what seems like a hundred years ago now. He was a couple years older than me, good dude, fast runner, friendly to everyone. Anyway, he passed from my memory long ago, it’s not as though we were best buds. As it turns out, Vic is now a professional musician and producer. He has a band with a friend of his called King Garbage that plays the same kind of soulful jams that Leon Bridges plays, albeit a little bit grittier. Anyway, Vic is given writing, background vocal, and drum credit on most of this LP. Good on you, Vic, should you ever read this.

Track By Track

1. Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand

The opening track sounds like some good ‘ol classic soul and R&B. It features Bridges’ smooth vocals and just enough bass, and even a little glockenspiel if you listen close enough. It was the first single releases from this LP.

2. Bad Bad News

I rank this one as my favorite on the album. It is an uptempo number, but it isn’t like overly loud. It still has that smooth nouveau funk-soul that Bridges is good at making. The lyrical content is basically a self-promotion–with themes of making good where people didn’t expect him to, “They tell me I was born to lose/ But I made a good good thing out of bad bad news,” and “I’m tired being in the back (Aight)/ I’m just trynna move up front.” It was the second single that was released.

3. Shy

An excellent love song, in the vein of Marvin Gaye, but with Bridges’ modern flair. Think more Usher or D’Angelo.

4. Beyond

Another love song, but this one is a bit more about pursuit for love rather than lust. This was the third and final single from the album, and I feel like I heard this one on the radio at least once before I even knew who the performer was. The writer has a lot of questions about this new love interest, even going as far as thinking about her as his wife! It’s got a great hook and will have you humming it for hours after hearing it for the first time. As with most of the songs, the lyrical content is somewhat relatable to everyday human experiences.

5. Forgive You

So, in the last song, Bridges was soaring with newfound love for a woman he saw a future with, this song is a bit more of a breakup song. I mean, it could even be about a fight. It has a bit more of a soft rock sound with a tinge of funk. Certainly not a complete departure from the soul feel, but it has more foot tapping than grooving.

6. Lions

This track is a bit more of a newer soul and R&B sound. It has a jazz feel to it too. I can’t quite put my finger on what it reminds me off, but it has a great beat and almost has a coffeeshop vibe. It is certainly a way to calm things down a bit. Sounds a lot better with headphones on.

7. If it Feels Good (Then it Must Be)

The writer/narrator of this song is singing directly at one particular woman–and how much he cannot resist her. It is a very up-tempo song and makes you wanna get up and dance (and I can’t dance to save my life). No, I didn’t jump out of my chair, but I found myself movin’ a bit. It has a great, lo-fi guitar solo that, again, sounds better through headphones. A lot of these funk/soul/R&B tracks sound better that way than in the club because you can really hear every subtle instrument and background vocal.

8. You Don’t Know

This song is another upbeat dance-rocker. It has a real vintage 80’s throwback sound in the chorus with some synth. This song and the previous one might even seem a bit out of place, but Leon’s voice makes it work in my opinion.

9. Mrs.

A pure R&B makeup sex ballad. Again, almost reminiscent of Marvin Gaye. It features this great set of clever lyrics:

I remember how it felt the first few times
Skin-to-skin before you knew how to get under mine
If we get it, get it right we’d be together for life
‘Cause it only feels good after a good, good fight

10. Georgia to Texas

Leon was originally born in Atlanta, Georgia, but soon ended up and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. This is an autobiographical song about his mother who was from New Orleans. It is also about how his mother instilled in him a devout Christian faith. While none of his music suggest that it might whack you over the head with religion, this song, and another form his first album are stirring tributes to his mother.