Album Review: Leon Thomas' 'Mutt'
Guiding us through a rich auditory landscape, the red-braided renegade explores the complexities of relationships in today's world across 14 meticulously crafted R&B tracks.
Cover art for Leon Thomas' MUTT. Image property of Motown Records.
This is MUTT...not puppy love. Although the album's title may not immediately evoke the intense and tumultuous journey of love, it deliberately misleads its audience, wearing its heartache and yearning openly.
This canine-fuelled sophomore album from Leon Thomas dives deep into the complexities of relationships and identity, all wrapped in a unique sound that fuses R&B with jazzy soul and rock, while subtly venturing into experimental territory.
Touching many hearts and minds across the Twittersphere, Thomas' second album serves as a powerful audio reflection of his artistic growth. Now recognised as a genuinely introspective poet, he provides listeners with a conceptual depth that resonates profoundly, inviting them to reflect on their own lives—both past and present.
The Brooklyn-born actor-singer is a true jack of all trades, known for his prolific pen and production skills. As an artist, he's capturing attention everywhere, his sound and swift pen resonating deeply with listeners. A true lyricist, Thomas is the innovative force behind hits like SZA's "Snooze" and has co-written tracks on platinum-selling albums such as Drake's Certified Lover Boy and Ariana Grande's Positions. Arguably, the melodic training Thomas gained from working with pop music greats has sharpened and refined the MUTT recording process.
Musically, MUTT combines expressive melodies with mixed instrumentation weaving in threads from different genres to create an auditory landscape that takes us on a ride through the familiar, and the not-so-familiar. The album's production unfolds in layers, each arrangement and detail crafted to illuminate Leon's vocal dexterity.
"Feelings on Silent" emerges as a key standout, featuring the self-proclaimed rap ambassador, Wale. Their voices though distinct, flow smoothly like two rivers merging into one. Thomas draws us into his story with the narration of fragility, whilst the Washington D.C. rhymer-for-hire infuses it with emotional depth and loverboy raps that command your attention.
Through soundwaves, Wale and Thomas urge listeners to embrace vulnerability; and to sit with raw emotions. Their song is framed as an R&B cleanse of sorts, a cathartic release expelling the pent-up feelings once locked away.
Stripped-down and sincere, Thomas' title track—with or without Freddie Gibbs—is a true anthem. The noir-inspired video sharpens the song's themes, exhibiting a blend of chaos and control. The visuals and Gibbs's unvarnished perspective elevate the track's enquiry of flawed love and emotional detachment.
Once again, Thomas echoes the album's core message: to navigate the war-torn complexities of modern relationships. He describes "MUTT" as his metaphor for mapping love, and inner growth. Inspired by his he analogises observations of his untrained dog to the challenges of being in a relationship. Covering all bases, he explores themes of control, vulnerability, nakedness in relationships, and the human need for connection, all set against glossy synths, sharp snares, and reverberating bass.
In continuance with his pain-laced spectacle, Thomas paints the discord between the fragile condition and emotional boundaries in the Ty Dolla $ign-assisted "Far Fetched". From the visuals to the chronicle and cyclical nature of relationships to calling attention to the hunger for understanding and forgiveness he uncovers it all…in the same breath.
Tracks like the angelic "I Do" encapsulate the LP's core themes of belonging and risk-taking, blending Frank Ocean-inspired crooning and song structure with Thomas' own bravado. Other tracks in the latter section peel back the layers of Thomas's playboy persona, with poignant collaborations like "I Used To", featuring Baby Rose, reflecting on past love overshadowed by apathy and the possibility of rekindling.
Thomas has significantly evolved as a solo artist since the largely lukewarm reception of 2023's Electric Dusk—he's now a true storyteller. Brave and bold, he draws from the classic soul playbook and the modern rules of social media engagement in relationships to create something that feels timely yet not confined to 2024.
His ability to effortlessly transition between slow, emotionally driven refrains and high-energy tracks highlights his musical versatility. With MUTT, Thomas has undeniably established himself as one of the leading voices in contemporary R&B.
8.1/10
Stream MUTT below: