When it comes to soul, the genre has been shaped into its modern form by artists such as Sam Smith and Daniel Caesar. However, it’s grown incredibly distant from its roots to an almost indistinguishable degree, but that doesn’t mean that old soul like our grandparents used to enjoy is dead and gone. In fact, Leon Bridges might be the largest force in keeping that energy alive to this day, and he does a better job than ever in his newest single with Keite Young, Like a Ship.

The vibe hits you like a wave as soon as the song begins, after the drum beat introduces the tempo, accompanied by old-timey piano and organ. The instrumentation sunrises in pieces, and hits you full force as soon as the beautiful gospel choir, led by Bridges himself, make their gracious entrance. I promise the listener will have to stifle some form of facial expression, whether it be a smirk or a sharp raise of the eyebrows in shock. Everything about this song brings you straight back to the smoothest years of music, from the production to the song-writing. It truly feels like a pure gospel-soul anthem in every way shape or form. As the song progresses, the energy continues building to a close when reverb-y voices echo the laments of a gritty Hammond organ for about a minute. Everything about this song paints a picture that depicts the love for the genre, and in an even bigger picture, the love for music these two musicians, along with the rest of the band, hold in their hearts.

Leon’s voice is so signature to the sound, he almost feels out of place in such modern times. He’s used his voice to his greatest ability, which is to remind people of the root of all music, and what eventually stemmed the radio hits that sneak into people’s playlists nowadays. Despite the play on nostalgia, his music always feels fresh and exciting, and though sometimes expected, he always finds his ways to throw us into a loop. Like a Ship is an anthem powerful enough to enlighten the darkest, to nurture the withered. It’s a song that will bring many to love the old, and will make the people who grew up on this music shed a tear in reminiscence. He has such an old soul that translates so beautifully to music, it’s surely a single you won’t want to miss.

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.