We were sitting on the couch and I got an email saying “Congratulations!” from someone named Leon Bridges. Opening the email with a bit of irritation so I could figure out how I won yet another mystery “sweepstakes” I never signed up for, I read the next line out loud,
“You and a guest of your choosing have been selected to attend the Leon Bridges’ GOOD THING listening event in Dallas!?”
“We got it!?” Dex exclaims. To which I replied, “Got what? I’m so confused.”
Turns out he’d entered literally every email address we owned into a giveaway to attend Leon Bridges’ listening party. After I processed his explanation and read the rest of the email, which required us to get documents notarized and sent back to them within 48hrs, I realized this was LEGIT!
Now I’ve been in and around the music business in some form or fashion for over 10 years but I’ve never been to something so legit I had to have a notary involved! I knew this was going to be something special and it turned out to be so in more ways than one.
In Short:
Free date night! Always a win!
Free date night involving music! Even better win!
Free date night involving new music that most of the world hasn’t heard yet! This must be some piece of Heaven on Earth!
And on top of that:
We ran into a high school classmate of mine who I hadn’t seen in over 10 years. Dex and I got to meet her husband and it turned out her husband and I work in the same field!
Got to meet Leon and share with him directly our thoughts of his new album
I must say Dex won husband of the year award on this one.
After the listening party we were asked to share our thoughts on the evening on camera and a couple days later, we showed up in the recap video posted on Leon Bridge’s IG page.
Check it out!
Our Review of Good Thing
We decided to take some notes while in the listening party and below if you’re interested, we’re sharing our thoughts and description of the album. Keep reading if you’d like to know more!
Overall Thoughts:
“Good Thing” is full of all sorts of styles from soulful, rhythmic and jazzy to classic and blues. It is honest and layered both musically and lyrically. On a scale of stream to vinyl, it’s without question good enough to put our money on it and buy the vinyl version despite our Premium Spotify Accounts (which we did in the limited edition yellow vinyl version).
Song by Song Breakdown
1. Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand
The album opens up with a classic sound, full of gentle harmonies and lyrics of honesty and vulnerability. Not the greatest departure from Leon’s previous sounds so old fans will be welcomed in and feel right at home as they begin the album.
2. Bad Bad News
Such a dope groove on this one! Nice heavy hitting horns are driven by a bold drum and solid bass line. This one’s very jazzy with what we like to call a “homeboy shout out crew” hyping Leon up in the background.
3. Shy
This is what music would sound like if you mixed Ron Isley with Leon Bridges. And with the topic of trying to woo a shy woman closer, we think channeling Ron Isley makes total sense here. Lol Honestly this would be great with a nice hip hop verse laid on top. It’s definitely a track that will get your head nodding.
4. Beyond
This track feels like a lazy Saturday afternoon. It has a country, twang. It’s comfortable and sure. It feels “right,” which fits the message of the song quite seamlessly as Leon croons fantasizing lyrics like, “she might just be my everything and beyond.”
5. Forgive You
Leon lays his soul on the line with this rock ballad. It’s a heart’s cry of forgiveness after heartbreak despite the opinions of others suggesting he not forgive. “It hurts, but I have to,” he persists. You feel the tension between his flesh and his heart and the voices of those around him. Lyrically, the uneasiness of this one underlines and accentuates a very real part of the natural nature of human relationships.
6. Lions
Syncopated and rhythmic with a heavy bass underneath D’Angelo infused vocals is how we’d describe this one. The whistling organ and synthesized vocals color the track beautifully. It’s a good blend of greatness.
7. If It Feels Good (Then It Must Be)
This one has a Texas reference so before we got past the full first verse it was already a favorite for Kandis, the Texas girl. This one is a dance floor filler with its harmonic blend mixed with a bit of pop. It could easily be one of our go-to summer ride songs as Leon reminds us, “you don’t have to act so serious.” Even if you tried, you definitely can’t act serious when this one comes on. It’s guaranteed to get even the stiffest person on their feet for a 4-minute swing out.
8. You Don’t Know
The year is 1980 and Leon is taking us to another world! With its dramatic reverb and funky flow, “You Don’t Know,” is a bit of a departure from the Leon we’re used to but somehow this song works and fits in with this body of work.
9. Mrs.
Mrs. starts with an electric guitar introduction which sets the tone for the tension and mood swings commonly experienced by intimate lovers. Leon sings to his lover in a duet with a guitar. Laced with lyrics declaring an unwavering commitment, this is the makeup anthem of 2018. Quite sure this is the one that may get us a baby on the way
10. Georgia to Texas
This track may be the most revealing track Leon’s released. Pealing back the curtain on some of his life story, this autobiographical track is comprised of a saxophone solo weaved between reflective verses and reminiscent background vocals whispering tales of the past. The track ends with a lingering piano
Hope you enjoyed our review and thoughts!
Get yourself in the presence of this music and let us know what you think after you give it a listen! We’d love to know your thoughts!
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