The new album is not that drastically less of a classicist affair than Coming Home, when all is said and done, but this time it’s a whole variety pack of retro.
Bridges doesn’t entirely leave behind his old-school roots, but, while Good Thing is hardly the next Blonde or, indeed, 24K Magic, it leaves you with a greater sense of who he is: loved-up, and striving for a level of ambition that feels within reach.
Not everything works. "If It Feels Good, It Must Be" and "You Don’t Know" feel like fake Pharrell, which is some pretty thin plastic. But the closers--the skin-to-skin makeup sex ballad "Mrs." and the free-ranging autobiographical narrative "Georgia to Texas" (Bridges' second tribute to his mom in as many albums)--show how expansive and individual Bridges can be, even as he guns for the charts.
While Bridges is certainly far from falling on his face, there’s nothing that really raises him above the droves of artists currently mining the sounds of ‘80s and ‘90s R&B either.
His voice remains as compelling and as seductive as ever, but the music is unrecognizable, moving firmly into the territory of smooth jams and synthetic beats.
TL;DR Leon Bridges travels in time to give us his first Best Of... album 15 years earlier. Top Tracks: Georgia to Texas (GtT), Shy, Bad BadTL;DR Leon Bridges travels in time to give us his first Best Of... album 15 years earlier. Top Tracks: Georgia to Texas (GtT), Shy, Bad Bad News (BBN)
In the liner notes Leon gives thanks to his band "for helping [him] create an album that is reflective of [his] growth as an artist". I would also like to thank his band for letting him create this album because if this is him growing, I can't wait to see what comes next.
Coming home was such a cohesive sounding album that it took you on a trip. So after an album that had such a distinct sound to it, I'm not really sure what I expected to hear, Good Thing is not Coming Home, at all. Every song explores a new style, which makes the album fairly diverse. River could've easily replaced GtT and it would've fit in just as well. Surprisingly though, the album flows fairly well from style to style. Shy and Lions threw me off, but in a good way.
What's surprising is that a lot of these explorations are really good (Bet Ain't Worth The Hand (BAWtH), BBN, Shy, Lions, Mrs., GtT). I shouldn't be surprised though, the first time I heard a song from Coming Home I truly thought I was listening to a song from the late 50's/early 60's. So why wouldn't he be able to do that with other sounds. An album based around BAWtH, BBN and Mrs.? Yes, please. I'd listen to an entire album of Shy.
You Don't Know is the only song that truly surprised me because one section reminded me of the Talking Heads and that's something I did not expect. Honestly, it ruined the song... except... here's the thing... I can't stop listening to it. Now I want to hear a Leon Bridges 80's post-disco album.
The rest of the songs (Beyond, Forgive You, If It Feels Good (Then It Must Be)) aren't bad, they're just not my style and from the Leon Bridges album I won't really care for.
Do I think Leon should make another album like this? No, at least not for his next album. What do I think he should do next? An 80's post-disco album. Am I biased? Yes, but I think there's a lot of room between Coming Home and Good Things for him to explore. That makes Good Things an exciting album. I'm excited for Leon's next album. I'm excited to see where his career goes. I'm excited to hear what's actually going to be on his first Best Of...…Expand
A promising return that breaks away from the constraints and occasional monotone of his first album, indulging us in some of the greatest R&BA promising return that breaks away from the constraints and occasional monotone of his first album, indulging us in some of the greatest R&B tracks for a while. Bridges' songwriting craft is surely and steadily improving. See 'Beyond', 'Bad, Bad News', and 'If It Feels Good'.…Expand
Bridges had to try some new material for his sophomore endeavor. While he still stays true to soul roots, it’s as if he is blending it withBridges had to try some new material for his sophomore endeavor. While he still stays true to soul roots, it’s as if he is blending it with retro-pop influences of the 70’s/80’s to create a new sound. There are a few goodies but, for the most part, mostly bland instrumentals and safe ground songwriting. The heart and soul of “Coming Home” is missing here. He’s trying to join the ranks of mainstay artists by creating music that is more for the tastes of the masses, but this album falls short. A passing grade - not his best work.…Expand
