グラミー受賞のR&Bシンガーソングライター=Leon Bridges(リオン・ブリッジス)待望の4thアルバム『Leon』

グラミー受賞歴を誇る米テキサス州フォートワース出身のソウル・R&Bシンガーソングライターであり、プロデューサーでもあるリオン・ブリッジス待望の4枚目のニューアルバム。リオンの特徴であるストーリーテリングと、ジャンルを超えたユニークな融合をフィーチャーした全13曲。Ian Fitchuk(ビヨンセ)、Daniel Tashian(ケイシー・マスグレイヴス)、Tyler Johnson(ハリー・スタイルズ、マイリー・サイラス)がプロデュースを手がけ、これまでで最も力強く、パーソナルな作品。
リオンはアルバムについて「愛するフォートワースで過ごした時間や、今の私を作った経験についての、本当の意味でのソウルフルな作品で、私の魂が込められている。故郷、ノスタルジー、私の生い立ち、出身地の話を皆さんと共有できることに興奮しており、この音楽があなたのルーツや旅に立ち戻らせてくれることを願っています。」と語り、彼が大切にしているもの、そして彼を形作った人々や場所を巡る旅へとファンを誘ってくれるアルバムとなった。

発売・販売元 提供資料 （2024/08/23）

Leon Bridges indicated that some of the material on Leon was written during the making of his previous album, Gold-Diggers Sound, and that the ideas didnt fall into place within the context of tunes such as "Motorbike," "Steam," and "Sweeter." The back half of Gold-Diggers Sound contained a slight departure in the spare and ambling romantic ballad "Sho Nuff" -- not about the villain from The Last Dragon -- co-written by Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian. It seems possible that at least a portion of the holdover songs also involved Fitchuk and Tashian, given that the duo are the main collaborators here, writing, producing, and providing a variety of the instrumentation along with fellow Kacey Musgraves associate Josh Moore. No salvage job, Leon simply has a rather distinct sonic character and a lyrical emphasis on nostalgic visions of Bridges childhood. The singers music has always been at home on adult album alternative radio stations, especially among contemporaries described as roots music, and his fourth LP sounds tailor-made for the format. It has a rustic elegance stabilized by workmanlike drums and lively acoustic guitars. Theres a small string section on "Thats What I Love," a tastefully gilded ballad with Bridges easygoing and poetic enumeration of bright memories, and on the soaring "God Loves Everyone," which continues the singers practice of delivering moving finales. "Never Satisfied" and "Peaceful Place," consecutive Side Two highlights, cascade and prance with more of a soul-funk edge granted by plump basslines and layers of keyboards that include spacy Mellotron. The album actually begins like it will take a different path with the John Mayer collaboration "When a Man Cries," an anguished ballad where Bridges sings in relatively general terms of an urge to "turn my pain into power, my fear into desire." Almost every song thereafter has a strong sense of place, usually in Bridges Fort Worth and almost always in Texas. Hes in and near bodies of water, on the roads, at the corner store, smelling his mothers gumbo, heeding his fathers advice to steer clear of shady characters. Recollections of love interests are related with affectionate detail. It might all verge on saccharine if Bridges didnt also tint some of his storytelling with longing and regret, as he does most vividly on "Simplify," another high point despite its low spirit. ~ Andy Kellman

Rovi