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Page 17 • Review
Leon Bridges’ sophomore album is a ‘Good Thing’
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By Caroline Cummings
Photos courtesy of Columbia Records
Leon Bridges didn’t set out to simply be a nostalgia act, one that frequently gets compared to ‘60s soul singer Sam Cooke and conjures up images of the American south, vinyl records and flared pants. And yet this Texas-based R&B singer’s debut album “Coming Home” made him just that, with a classic soul sound and a smooth voice delivering simple love songs. But while “Coming Home” basked in the sunlight of a humid summer afternoon with crooning ballads, Bridges’ sophomore album “Good Thing” parts from this oldschool style, employing upbeat rhythms that evoke images of nights out that don’t end until the sun comes up. That’s not to say “Good Thing” completely separates Bridges from the soul style that introduced him into the industry. His music can still easily be classified as retro, complete with vintage analog fuzz in the background. References to the south such as “Live from the funk/It’s hotter than Texas” in “If It Feels Good (Then It Must Be)” and smooth vocals piercing through the sound of horns present in most of his songs all pay homage to the great singers of the Motown era. What has changed is Bridges’ approach to his music—his focus on this genre has loosened, letting him experiment with more contemporary styles. It is this shift that allowed Bridges to create songs such as “You Don’t Know,” a drastic departure from the style of his debut album. Filled with delayed background vocals, coatings of synthesizer and an infectious energy, “You Don’t Know” is Bridges’ ticket into the world of contemporary pop music. This energy is perhaps what distinguishes Bridges most from other artists. His joy and charisma shine through, making it impossible not to have a good time right along with him. “If It Feels Good (Then It Must Be)” embraces funk, and this guitar and synthesizer-heavy track can only be described as pure fun, with Bridges’ energy seeping through the speakers. Even with this spirit, Bridges doesn’t always promise happy endings. The album opens with the song “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand,” a breakup song that delivers a heartfelt and bittersweet goodbye to a former lover. With lyrics like “Kiss me before I go, but you got to let me go,”
this song displays a directness that is also seen in Bridges’ autobiographical track “Georgia to Texas.” For this song, Bridges removes many of the stylistic flourishes found in his other songs, offering a raw depiction of his childhood with images of hand-me-down clothes and his mother’s financial struggles. The intimacy Bridges’ displays through straightforward lyrics such as “We had no green but the love was strong/It was all we’d need to get along,” reveals his versatility and ability to beautifully package heartfelt messages into the smooth sounds of jazz. Bridges names diversity, in both style and content, as being one of his main goals in releasing this genre-defying album. “I didn’t want to be in that box for the rest of my life. I’m more than retro soul music,” Bridges said in an interview with Esquire. “I want [people] to see and hear that I’m bringing something different to the table, in the whole genre of R&B.” Despite Bridges’ successful creation of a new style of R&B, “Good Thing” is not a perfect album. The love ballads often toe the line of generic, expressing old-school and simplistic desires such as “Will she have my kids? Will she be my wife?” in “Beyond.” But it is also these same love songs that provide a sensitive and sensual tone, as well as the occasional falsetto. These new additions to Bridges’ repertoire represent his growing abilities as a musician. It is clear that Bridges is attempting to create a more diverse and contemporary sound with “Good Thing,” but this experimentation feels natural, and his adventurous and contemporary album is still coated in the old-timey veneer that makes his style so recognizable. Bridges is creating a style of the future, one that combines his own past, as well as the rich history of soul music, with contemporary genres. And as he says in the track “Bad Bad News” addressing his critics, “I know you wish I would fade away/But I got more to say.” If there’s one thing for certain, it’s that Bridges is not going to let himself fade away under the label of a retro singer. He’s here to stay, and that can’t be classified as anything but a good thing. ccummings@redwoodbark.org
‘RBG’ documentary brings depth to unlikely liberal feminist By Maggie Smith While women across the country took to the streets in the 1960s to protest gender discrimination in the workplace, Ruth Bader Ginsburg stayed home. After all, she had her own work to do, from teaching law at Rutgers to being the general counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In contrast, she contributed to the cause from behind a desk. And despite not marching through the streets, it was her work that made the women’s rights movement possible. While the #MeToo movement has taken over national headlines, it’s important to remember the people and events who have created the precedent of fighting for gender equality. The feminist lawyers and judges who have convicted abusers such as Larry Nassar and Bill Cosby follow Ginsburg’s legacy of persistence and courage in the face of injustice. For these reasons, our current political and social climate is the ideal time for the documentary “RBG,” released May 4. Portraying the life and career of one of the most iconic Supreme Court justices to date, “RBG” uses her landmark court cases and interviews with her late husband, friends, colleagues and Ginsburg herself to create an optimistic documentary. It is perfectly balanced with courageous, heartwarming and humorous elements. The film follows Ginsburg on her journey from childhood to becoming the celebrated pop-culture and judicial icon she is today, interspersed with descriptions of her most impactful court cases. It’s a celebration of her career and personal accomplishments that chronicles an important piece of the history of women’s rights in America. First things first: “RBG” is not the most exciting, on-the-edge-of-your-seat documentary, much less
movie, that has ever been made. However, to make such a melodramatic documentary about Ginsburg would be a betrayal to who she is as a person. The mood of “RBG,” directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen, matches the personality of Ginsburg: mellow, logical and mostly lighthearted. One of the most fascinating parts of “RBG” was the descriptions of the obstacles Ginsburg had to overcome in order to advance her career. At Harvard Law School, she was one of nine female students in a class of 500. Nevertheless, she was the first woman published in both the Harvard Law Review and Columbia Law Review; the early focus on her time in law school foreshadows the struggle she faced later in her career. After being rejected from multiple jobs because of her gender, she co-founded the Women’s Rights Project at the ACLU in 1972, which gave her her first opportunity to appear in front of the Supreme Court. In the documentary, she describes how she felt like a kindergarten teacher while arguing in front of the justices for the first time because of their lack of knowledge on sex discrimination. Interviews with plaintiffs and old photos involving Ginsburg’s most groundbreaking court cases made Ginsburg’s impact tangible, as it effectively brought the viewer back in time. For example, the case United States v. Virginia, which made it possible for women to attend the Virginia Military Institute alongside men, was brought alive by old footage of the school and its first female class. By featuring multiple landmark cases Ginsburg was involved in, and the judicial precedents these cases created, her impact on women’s rights is made clear. Many times, the film emphasizes how supportive her late husband, Marty Ginsburg, was of her. A fellow lawyer, he let his career take a backseat in order to support her, an uncommon relationship dynamic at the time. From
calling to remind her to come home when she worked late to endlessly campaigning for her to be considered for an opening Supreme Court Justice position, it’s clear how important their relationship was to Ginsburg. “Ruth was the least likely person to toot her own horn,” he said in a speech featured in the documentary, “so I was the New York Philharmonic.” Luckily, this focus on Ginsburg’s personal life didn’t overshadow her professional achievements. Instead, it provided a foundation to recognize not only her professional success, but put these successes in the context of her life as a whole. Additionally, sporadic, humorous anecdotes breaks up the more serious, career-related stories, which gave Ginsburg additional dimension, considering she was often portrayed as a workaholic in the documentary. For example, the mention of her friendship with Antonin Scalia and her perspective on her famous nickname “The Notorious R.B.G.” bring a jovial tone to the film. It’s worth mentioning that viewers of “RBG” should not expect a critical look at Ginsburg’s career. The opinion of the directors is clear, and the documentary is a celebration of her achievements. It’s made implicit that viewers share the adoration of Ginsburg as the celebrated liberal figurehead she is today. “RBG” skillfully brings viewers back to the time when sex discrimination first became a legitimate phenomena, and focuses on the woman who made much of it happen. Ginsburg didn’t need to shout in order to create change. In fact, she barely raised her voice. Still, her dissenting spirit has led generations to become more fearless and persistent in the face of obstacles and injustices. msmith@redwoodbark.org