Leon Bridges is taking his time with the rollout of his upcoming album Leon. The set, which will arrive next month, was previewed when the crooner dropped its lead single “Peaceful Place” in August. Now that we’ve stepped into a new month, the Texas-born singer-songwriter continues with the project's next release “Laredo.”
“Laredo” comes from a personal place for Leon, as he relayed in an Instagram post about the song. “The story of ‘Laredo’ goes back to when I was 20 years old. I was at a dancing competition. I was watching a girl from Laredo on stage expressing herself through dance. She was so in touch with herself and she was killing it. Everything about her mesmerized me. I wanted to get her number so we could get to know each other better, but didn’t get the chance to when I was down in Laredo.”
He continued, “When we wrote this song, it had been about 10 years from that day in Laredo. The memory of her up on that stage was still so clear and I think you can hear that in the song.”
That tender memory is evident in the song. It’s given its heart with lots of jangly guitar backed by soul-influenced piano and rollicking drums, with each element evoking the feel of a tangible memory. Leon then crafts the lyrics lovingly as he paints a picture of the experience while infusing it with a palpable longing.
“Play me something downtempo / Low-key and rocksteady / Body hittin’ like Kimbo / Fallin’ for you like confetti,” he sings on the chorus. “More whiskey and ginger / Love, I’m a just a beginner / What if I stayed in Laredo / For just one more night?”
In the song’s official visualizer, we see Leon in his home turf of Fort Worth as he and his boys surround a classic ride. He then offers up a mesmerizing performance as the track's lyrics flash across the bottom of the screen. Not much else happens here, but we wouldn’t be mad if the song’s official video didn’t expand on this theme much more.
Leon Bridges might have our fall on lock when Leon arrives this October. You can both stream “Laredo” and watch its visualizer when you head below.
