Coming Home (Leon Bridges album)

Coming Home
Studio album by Leon Bridges
Released June 23, 2015 (2015-06-23)
Recorded 2014–2015
Studio Niles City Sound, Fort Worth, TX
Genre
Length 34:11
Label Columbia
Producer Niles City Sound
Leon Bridges chronology
Coming Home
(2015)
Good Thing
(2018)
Singles from Coming Home
  1. "Coming Home"
    Released: February 3, 2015
  2. "Smooth Sailin'"
    Released: June 2, 2015

Coming Home is the debut studio album by American singer Leon Bridges. It was released on June 23, 2015, by Columbia Records. The album was written by Leon Bridges, Austin Michael Jenkins, Joshua Block, Chris Vivion and produced by Niles City Sound.

The album was supported by two singles: "Coming Home" and "Smooth Sailin'". Coming Home received generally positive reviews from critics, and charted at number six on the US Billboard 200. The album was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.[1]

Singles

"Coming Home" was released as the lead single from the album on February 3, 2015, by Columbia Records.[2][3] The song continued the success of the demo version and became a "Top 10 Most Viral Track" on Spotify, the same month as its release.[4] The album's second single, "Smooth Sailin'", was released on June 2, 2015.[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.4/10[6]
Metacritic78/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Clash8/10[9]
Consequence of SoundB[10]
Exclaim!9/10[11]
The Guardian[12]
NME8/10[13]
The Observer[14]
Pitchfork7.0/10[15]
Rolling Stone[16]
Spin7/10[17]

Coming Home received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 78, based on 21 reviews.[7] Adam Kivel of Consequence of Sound said, "On Coming Home, Bridges solidly aligns with the latter, his soulful R&B studied and nostalgic, but also immediate and emotionally true."[10] Ryan Patrick of Exclaim! said, "Coming Home is a star-making vehicle that is solidly crafted, robustly traditionalist and palpably soulful. This is not just a nostalgia act; this is music from the heart, and the soul."[11] Leonie Cooper of NME also gave the album a positive review stating, "Coming Home exists in a satin-swathed timewarp that takes you back 55 years. Texan singer Leon Bridges' debt to the warmth of soul pioneer Sam Cooke is evident in every tune on a debut album where even the stylish artwork acts as an unreconstructed envoy to a 1960 dependent on daiquiris and dinner dances."[13] Kitty Empire of The Observer said, "Coming Home is, perhaps, a healthy reiteration of the classic sounds of succour in a time of need; a principled and mellifluous nay-saying."[14] Ernest Wilkins of Pitchfork said, "While he obviously has good intentions, at times, Bridges can't help but come off as an imitator."[15] Chuck Arnold of Rolling Stone gave the album a positive review stating, "Leon Bridges is a throwback to the days when guys did things like "swim the Mississippi" to impress their dates ("Better Man"). But this retro-soul man doesn't have to work so hard to win you over on his debut LP: His smooth, Sam Cooke-esque croon makes Coming Home the best kind of nostalgia trip. Tunes like the tender title track dance right back to the late Fifties, and album closer "River" is a gospel-blues testimony that runs deep."[16]

Harley Brown of Spin said, "What it does best is address the simple lament of not having anything to twist to in too long."[17] Jonathan Hatchman of Clash gave the album a positive review stating, "Texas has always been a state synonymous with pioneering musical innovation. Yet, with the release of Fort Worth native Leon Bridges' debut album, an anomaly has arisen which sends the listener back into the past. Having begun his career with a string of open-mic night shows, his rich blend of soul and rhythm 'n' blues influences peppered a demo of Bridges' album title track, which received an overwhelming level of success after its appearance on SoundCloud."[9] Andy Kellman of AllMusic said, "It's all a pleasing time warp without turbulence, one with songs built more to evoke the past than to last in one's memory."[8] Tim Jonze of The Guardian said, "Bridges has a fantastic voice, but you sense he's also yet to truly find it."[12]

The album was first featured in Rolling Stone's "Best Albums of 2015 So Far" mid-year list,[18] and for its year-end list of best albums, the magazine ranked the album at number 31.[19] Mojo placed Coming Home at number 27 on their "50 Best Albums of 2016" year-end list.[20]

Commercial performance

Coming Home debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200 selling 42,000 equivalent copies (38,000 in pure album sales).[21] On June 24, 2015, the album was at number five on The Official Chart Update in the United Kingdom.[22]

Track listing

All songs produced by Niles City Sound.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Coming Home"
3:26
2."Better Man"
  • Bridges
  • Jenkins
  • Block
  • Vivion
2:21
3."Brown Skin Girl"
  • Bridges
  • Jenkins
  • Block
  • Vivion
3:26
4."Smooth Sailin'"
  • Bridges
  • Jenkins
  • Block
  • Vivion
3:07
5."Shine"
  • Bridges
  • Jenkins
  • Block
  • Vivion
3:38
6."Lisa Sawyer"
  • Bridges
  • Jenkins
  • Block
  • Vivion
4:05
7."Flowers"
  • Bridges
  • Jenkins
  • Block
  • Vivion
2:56
8."Pull Away"
  • Bridges
  • Jenkins
  • Block
  • Vivion
3:02
9."Twistin' & Groovin'"
  • Bridges
  • Jenkins
  • Block
  • Vivion
4:14
10."River"
  • Bridges
  • Jenkins
  • Block
  • Vivion
3:56
Total length:34:11

Notes

  • "Coming Home" and "Here In My Arms" features background vocals from Gabriel Lawson and Tyesha Simpson
  • "Better Man" features background vocals from Brittni Jessie, Tyesha Simpson, Ansley Dougherty and Njia Martin
  • "Brown Skin Girl" features background vocals from Paul Andrade, Brittni Jessie and Beth Riley
  • "Smooth Sailin'" features background vocals from Brittni Jessie
  • "Shine" features background vocals from Brittni Jessie, Elle Chupik, Beth Riley and Katie Robertson
  • "Lisa Sawyer", "Twistin' & Groovin'", "Daisy Mae" and "Outta Line" features background vocals from Beth Riley, Brittni Jessie and Elle Chupik
  • "Flowers" and "Pull Away" features background vocals from Brandon Marcel, Brittni Jessie, Elle Chupik and Beth Riley
  • "River" features background vocals from Paul Andrade, Shon Gardner, Brittni Jessie, Tyesha Simpson, Njia Martin and Ansley Dougherty
  • "There She Goes" features background vocals from Brittni Jessie, Gabriel Lawson, Elle Chupik, Beth Riley and Katie Robertson
  • "Mississippi Kisses" features background vocals from Paul André, Jake Paleshic, Brandon Marcel and Jake Hill

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes and Tidal.[23][24]

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[41] Gold 500,000double-dagger

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
United States June 23, 2015
  • CD
  • LP
  • Digital download
Columbia
February 5, 2016 (Deluxe version) Digital download

References

  1. "Grammy Nominations 2016: See the Full List of Nominees". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 7, 2015. Archived from the original on December 10, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  2. "Amazon.com: Coming Home: Leon Bridges: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  3. "Leon Bridges, 'Coming Home'". NPR Music. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  4. "Spotify's Top 10 Most Viral Tracks". The New York Times. February 11, 2015. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  5. "Amazon.com: Smooth Sailin': Leon Bridges: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  6. "Coming Home by Leon Bridges reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Reviews for Coming Home by Leon Bridges". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 19, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  8. 1 2 Kellman, Andy. "Coming Home – Leon Bridges". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  9. 1 2 Hatchman, Jonathan (June 16, 2015). "Leon Bridges – Coming Home". Clash. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  10. 1 2 Kivel, Adam (June 23, 2015). "Leon Bridges – Coming Home". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on July 8, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  11. 1 2 Patrick, Ryan. "Leon Bridges Coming Home". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  12. 1 2 Jonze, Tim. "Leon Bridges: Coming Home review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 8, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  13. 1 2 Cooper, Leonie. "Texan soul man cooks up a retro-R&B classic with two members of White Denim". NME. Archived from the original on June 14, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  14. 1 2 Empire, Kitty. "Coming Home by Leon Bridges review". The Observer. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  15. 1 2 "Leon Bridges: Coming Home". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  16. 1 2 "Coming Home – Leon Bridges". Rolling Stone. June 23, 2015. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  17. 1 2 "Review: Leon Bridges, 'Coming Home'". Spin. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
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  22. "Wolf Alice and Everything Everything battle for Number 1 album". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on June 25, 2015.
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  30. "Lescharts.com – Leon Bridges – Coming Home". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
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  41. "American album certifications – Leon Bridges – Coming Home". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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