Leon Thomas - Electric Dusk [Clear Green]

Leon Thomas' Electric Dusk arrives on clear green vinyl, the 2023 debut album that proved the in-demand songwriter-producer could carry a record with his own voice.

Thomas has lived several careers already: Broadway child actor, Andre Harris on Nickelodeon's Victorious, then a behind-the-scenes force writing and producing for SZA, Ariana Grande and Drake. Signing to Ty Dolla $ign's EZMNY Records and Motown gave the Brooklyn native room to step into the spotlight, and Electric Dusk is the sound of him seizing it.

The album blends classic R&B with psychedelic soul, warm guitar and late-night funk, all held together by a falsetto that can float or bite as needed. Breaking Point is the slow-burning heartbreak at its centre, X-Rated turns the temperature up several notches, and Love Jones glows with old-school romance. Crash & Burn shows off his knack for melody, wrapping a sense of romantic danger in a hook that sticks.

It feels like the work of someone who studied the greats and then decided to add his own flavour, equal parts vintage warmth and modern swagger. As his star has kept rising since, this pressing captures the moment his solo vision first came into sharp focus, and it looks every bit as vivid as it sounds.