Leon Bridges: Polishing The Golden Era Anew (From the Archives)
Nostalgia permeates the blood running through Leon Bridges' debut album, Coming Home. It's unusual for a 25-year-old to be so plugged into the Golden Age of soul and R&B, but with an expansive online music education and an influential mother from the era, it's hard not to be. The Fort Worth native's music is haunted by Sam Cooke's swaying rhythms and Nat King Cole's smooth romance, yet Bridges doesn't get lost in wistfulness.
The album outlines a world in vintage bass lines and delicate percussion. It's colored in by velvet vocals and vibrant horns ("Brown Skin Girl," "Smooth Sailin'"). Heartfelt songwriting carries a touching tribute to his mother in "Lisa Sawyer." Throughout, Bridges dusts off Golden Era motifs and brings them into the 21st century with radiance and fresh musicality. (First aired in 2015.)
Setlist: "Coming Home," "River"