I think we can all agree there is never going to be another Sam Cooke. Or Otis Redding. Or Al Green. Soul music is a difficult genre to get right, and for those of us who grew up swaying to the likes of “You Send Me” in our grandparents or parents’ living rooms, it seems most people would prefer to leave this particular genre to the greats.
However, when you’re wrong, you’re wrong — and I was wrong. I officially bite my purist tongue, having recently discovered the musical musings of Leon Bridges. This Texas native makes music that is distinctly redolent rather than imitative, displaying an intimate understanding of what gave 1950s and 1960s soul its staying power.
“Lisa Sawyer,” the third of Bridges’ released tracks, tells the story of his mother’s baptism in Louisiana. In a ballad-esque narrative (there’s no refrain in the conventional sense of the word), we learn about his mother’s family, her daily life, and the moment she found Christ. And this isn’t done through lyrics alone — a creamy du-wop rhythm and mesmerizing sax melody give the feeling of the drowsy Southern summer days that seem to characterize Bridges’ understanding of his mother’s childhood.