By Christian Cullen, Staff Writer

Prepare to go on a journey with me filled with nostalgia, longing for a home on the road and Texas as I review Leon Bridges’s new self-titled album, “Leon.” Brimming with emotion, this album marks a forceful return to the music scene for Bridges after a three year hiatus. Bridges has been featured on some collaborations and EPs.

Before digging into the album itself, there is an Instagram post to go through. When the album was released, Bridges posted a long message detailing his feelings about it. Part explanation and part thank-you, he encapsulates the essence of the album by saying, “Each song is a tribute of the experiences and connections that define who I am, and I hope you hear this collection of stories and connect with your own roots.” What an incredible description for a phenomenal album. Let’s dig in.

There were a few anticipatory singles that came out before the album’s official release. Firstly, there was “Laredo,” which is arguably the best song on the album. The story of an encounter with a girl in a bar across the border in Mexico, the tantalizing vocals and peaceful beat ease the listener into the story. One can easily imagine the feelings Bridges had felt as a young man, arguing with himself about staying in Laredo, “just one more night, just one more night.”

Next up is “Peaceful Place,” which is a more up-tempo song than the other single. The guitar lick and Bridge’s harmonizing voice quickly entrance the reader with the want to return to their own peaceful place. A good beat switch here, repeated vocals there, and you have a wonderful song that spills the emotion one only feels on a summer day with the breeze through their hair and a cold refreshment in their hand. I can only hope to listen to this song while laying down on the beach someday.

Now, I had already heard the album’s singles, so I was quite excited to listen to the album when it came out and I was quite pleased with the rest of the songs. “Simplify” took me by surprise. A small, lowkey piano intro with Leon almost talking to us with little vocalization gives us the feeling of home. Sometimes in life we just have to “simplify this life, simplify this life.” The words do not do justice for the alluring production of this song. You really just gotta hear it. Coming from an artist who has been traveling the roads for a bit of time, that added context really makes this song hit close to home. The added sense of longing that Leon’s voice imbues into those lines about simplifying life really make me wish I could do the same. Ultimately, life is better when it’s simple.

I could go through the rest of the album’s 13 tracks, but I do not have the time for that. Plus, some of the album needs to be a surprise for the first time listener! Just know that I recommend this album. I, for one, will be trying to take the album’s message closer to home by getting closer to my home. I think we can all use a moment or two and feel the peace and serenity of that homey feeling. Home may not be a place. In fact, I think it is more of that feeling of peace and serenity. I hope that we can all find our way home and “simplify this life.”