This week’s edition of New Music Friday is all about music that makes you feel good. From the gospel, jazzed fused R&B of Texas’ Leon Bridges to the blatantly positive soulful-pop vibes of New York’s Lawrence, there is sure to be a song or 20 to just make you smile while you sip on some lemonade in the summer heat while tapping your toes.
Leon Bridges Gold-Diggers Sound
In 2015, the music world was introduced to a new and exciting artist with a sound that was decades removed from its height of popularity. Part Sam Cooke, part Otis Redding, the Atlanta born and Texas based songwriter Leon Bridges offered something that sounded so familiar on his debut Coming Home. Coming Home brought back memories of weekends spent with my grandmother when we listened to some of the great R&B singers of a time gone by. Bridges debut album went on to be nominated for Best R&B album at the Grammys that year and now he is back with his third record, Gold-Diggers Sound.
Gold-Diggers Sound still offers up the old-school soul Bridges is known for, but instead of the ‘50s and ‘60s vibes found on his debut, this outing draws up nostalgia of the ‘80s and ‘90s. The plush jazz tones found throughout the album really cement the vibe Bridges was trying to accomplish on the album.
“Why Don’t You Touch Me” tackles the vulnerable side of a man going through the struggles of a relationship when there is a breakdown in communication. Elsewhere, “Sweeter” was released in 2020 after the death of George Floyd. The tribute to Floyd is told from the viewpoint of the deceased. Leon sings, “Someone should hand you a felony/Because you stole from me my chance to be” on “Sweeter” as he felt that Floyd was screaming out to him.
Bridges will be hitting the road soon in support of Gold-Diggers Sound and will play Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville on May 13, 2022. @leonbridges
Lawrence Hotel TV
Please allow me to gush about my favorite band I discovered during the pandemic. Scrolling through Tik Tok one day, a live clip of a band playing with a young woman singing as she’s about to bust from the seams popped up on my feed. I probably watched the short video 7 or 8 times before finally hitting the heart button and then going to the bands page to see what a Lawrence is.
Lawrence consists of siblings Clyde and Gracie, you guessed it, Lawrence along with some childhood and college friends. The band released their debut album in 2016 and has garnered a growing, devoted fan base ever since. They have headlined sold out shows across the country and opened for O.A.R., Blues Traveler, and Lake Street Dive among others and played festivals such as Firefly, Hangout and Bonnaroo.
Lawrence has released their third album Hotel TV, and it is full of the trademark quirky pop that fans have come to love. It’s nearly impossible to listen to any Lawrence song and not smile. The uplifting “Don’t Lose Sight” is the current single from the album and kicks off Hotel TV reminding listeners that no matter what life throws at you, that it is important to stay on track, keep your head and most importantly to not lose sight.
The song that started my fandom for the band “Freckles” is included on the album and is a self-love anthem for anyone dealing with body image issues. Sometimes you need a song to remind you that you are beautiful and that it is silly to subscribe to the social norms the media and large companies’ plant into your subconscious making you believe that to be truly loved, you must look or dress a certain way.
The Grammy Award winning hip-hop production duo Brasstracks deliver some impressive horns on the surprise cover of N’Sync’s “It’s Gonna Be Me.” From start to finish, Lawrence perfectly delivers an impeccable pop album perfect for 2021. Make sure to grab tickets to see Lawrence at Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville on December 11. @lawrencetheband
Steven McCash is the Music Columnist for SoBros Network, and host of the ‘Drinking With…’ podcast. He is the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music, in addition to the occasional live show review. Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75
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