My fave R&B soul brother, Leon Thomas, recently dropped his Pholks EP that’ll get you in your feelings and make you dance at the same time. Seven tracks only, Thomas brings back that experimentation we’ve been missing in R&B. He elevates his naturally suave sound, mixing in touches of neo-soul, funk, and pop rock. And it’s not just sonically unique. The emotion-rich storytelling and passionate vocals make it feel like one of his most intentional works yet.
Pholks Begins with Heartfelt Confessions
Kicking Pholks off is the lead single, “Just How You Are,” and you can tell Thomas is so over trying to find true love as an R&B superstar. Seemingly getting over a one-night stand, he’s chasing a woman he can’t let go of. He really pours his heart out after being made to feel empty: “Wrote all these songs ’bout you, and you never even said a word.” Talk about being taken advantage of. But this isn’t his first rodeo with being used or dealing with unfulfilling casual relationships. Later, he admits, “I was fuckin’ vixens way before the fame, givin’ models X before Tesla came,” painting a picture of the kind of temptation that comes with clout.
But aside from the topic of infatuation, what really grabs me is the sound itself. The live instruments make it feel authentic, which is rare in today’s digital world of music. To me, it sounds a lot like “Jungle Love” by Morris Day. And the Prince inspiration is loud and clear. Almost like he was influenced by the Purple Rain soundtrack. In an interview with NPR, Thomas even admitted, “And that record came from me trying to be Prince. I was like, OK, well, I’m going to go to the drums, start a beat. And then I’m going to go to the bass and guitar. And I’m going to get a nice, you know, outline for the chorus and go to the piano and the synths and write a song. But don’t think too hard.”
Then things take a romantic turn with “My Muse.” Thomas admits, “‘Cause you’re not my girl, but you still my muse / Make me wanna get my money up and spend it on you,” showing he’s using his crush as both inspiration and motivation to do better. He even sings, “I could write like a hundred songs all about you, I could touch you without skin,” to capture just how deep her chokehold is on him. Like, how could you not daydream to this one? The production has that same groovy bounce as The Jacksons’ “Blame It on the Boogie” or “Enjoy Yourself,” just slowed down and more chill.
Desperate for Love and Losing Control
By the middle of the project, the sound of “5MoreMinutes” is super groovy. Thomas sings excitedly in a high-pitched voice about being “homesick from you,” admitting he can’t leave this girl alone even though he knows she’s no good for him. He goes further, shrugging off the world’s disapproval and saying he’d rather have the whole city burning with her in the passenger seat than be apart. Falling deep in love is clearly a dangerous game for him! This track just screams wild “Teenage Love Affair” vibes, a la Alicia Keys, with a little sprinkle of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.”
Thomas turns up the intensity with “Trapped.” The lyrics, “You walk in the room and draw attention / And I do think he had the right intentions / I just think you’re too bad for him, bad for him / You gon’ end up feeling trapped with him,” have him pleading with a girl to leave her man for him. The drums hit hard, and the “Ooh, oh, ooh, ooh” throughout are total earworms, calm and relaxing but still full of tension. Call me crazy, but I kept thinking of Michael Jackson’s “Can’t Help It” while blasting this.
Then we get to “Baccarat,” and you can hear Thomas is really desperate for this girl’s attention. He’s basically begging her to be with him as he’s crashing out. He’s saying stuff like he can’t live without her and texting her at 4 a.m., only to get no response. And then he calls her a “fine-ass walkin’ contradiction” to explain how much she has him in a daze. Rob Gueringer on the drums, plus the guitar and bass, completely messes with your head in the best way. The beat is crazy fast and hypnotic. It’s giving “Low Rider” by War and “Get Up (I Feel Like Being Like A) Sex Machine” by James Brown, but way more sped up. I felt like I was actually sitting at a casino table, throwing it all on love and hoping for a win. Thomas really put his foot in this one!
Thomas Running on Heartbreak and Desire
Now there’s “Feel Alive,” which might actually be my favorite. It’s so cinematic, like you can picture the morning tide crashing while he’s singing about wanting someone so badly, tangled up in sheets and just lost in the moment. Lines about honey dripping and swimming underneath storms make it very sensual and kind of chaotic in the best way. How he talks about wanting to escape a boring life and just feel alive again is just so relatable. And is it just me, or does it also remind you of “Trouble” by Coldplay? It’s solemn but catchy and leaves you feeling heard.
Last but certainly not least, “Lone Wolf” featuring 4batz is a true gem. The love Leon wants from this high-maintenance woman that’s blowing through his pockets doesn’t bother him. “It’s gon’ cost a big bag at least, I swear / And if it cost me a Chanel then that’s cheap, I swear / And all that guilt you carry, how you sleep out here? / Lone wolf, everybody a sheep out here.” You can just hear how tired he sounds from always trying to please. It’s like he has a dark cloud over his head, not wanting to be alone. He keeps giving to a woman he’s tired of but still loves. And again, the drums on this song are sickening.
Why We Need More Pholks
After listening to Pholks on repeat, I can safely say Thomas is a student of music. He knows how to keep you hooked. Seriously, I kept coming back for more. My only complaint? It’s way too short. I could’ve easily seen this as a full-length album, or even better, with a short film or a compilation of music videos for every track. If you haven’t listened to it yet… what are you even doing? Through this project, you get to time travel to the 70s and 80s and soak in all these cool fusions of R&B, and honestly, all I can do is thank Thomas for taking us on the ride.
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