Gentleman Jesse – I Wonder If You Would Even Notice - Singles And Rarities LP - Translucent White ("Natural") Vinyl (/200)

Beach Impediment (2025)

There was a time when I was beyond obsessed with everything that Gentleman Jesse put out.  That sweet period of time between the release of their first single and their second LP, Leaving Atlanta, saw the release of classic song after classic song.  Many were included on those first two LPs.  Many more were scattered across various other releases.  There was then a long period of inactivity before Jesse came back with the last LP, Lose Everything in 2021.  A few years later we have this newly released singles comp.

This collection starts off with my favorite Gentleman Jesse song and the one that was the first thing I heard after seeing that Jesse was also in the Carbonas, who were another band that was reasonably new to me at the time.  "I Don't Wanna Know (Where You Been Tonight)" is one of those perfect power pop songs that is as catchy as it is fun.  I was floored by it and immediately tried to find what else was out there.  At the time, not much but the first LP on Douchemaster came out pretty soon after my initial discovery.

This song is just one of many, many amazing compositions on this LP.  16 songs in total, though the accompanying Bandcamp download has another seven extra songs.  Why? I don't know.  But more Gentleman Jesse is typically better than less. All of the tracks from the first few years of singles and compilations are present along with some unreleased outtakes and demos.  If you don't already have these singles (for shame), this is an absolutely essential record to pick up.  Even if you do already have everything, there's still new tracks on here to enjoy and I've always loved singles comps and how they let you listen to a cross section of the band's catalog while only  having to flip a record once.

They also have this really great T shirt that's a spoof on the Sound Sleeves record sleeve logo that I've been trying to get my hands on.  So if anyone has access to one of those, please get in touch! timpopkid [at] gmail [dot] com

Gentleman Jesse – I Wonder If You Would Even Notice - Singles And Rarities:
https://beachimpedimentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/i-wonder-if-you-would-even-notice-singles-and-rarities

Gentleman Jesse - Where Time Stands Still 7" - Blue Vinyl (/100)

Drunk Dial (2024)

It seems very odd to me that the last Gentleman Jesse full length is already more that two years old.  And I know I have mentioned this before, but as I get older, my perception of time is completely whacked out.  But regardless, it's been a minute since we last heard from Jesse and I was happy to see that he was taking part in the Drunk Dial 7" series.

Gentleman Jesse's entry into this club is a two song 7", the first 100 of which were pressed on sky blue vinyl.  Those went pretty quick, but I was able to snag one before they sold out.  The black vinyl version is still out there though.  

I was kind of disappointed in the last Gentleman Jesse release.  The songs all felt slow to me and in a lot of instances, kind of downer at times.  They were well written, well performed songs, but they didn't capture that upbeat, poppy Jesse energy that I had been used to from his prior releases.  This 7" is pretty similar to me.  The A side, "Where Time Stands Still," is an original and while it is a bit more uptempo than a lot of the songs on his last album, there is still a strain of melancholy here that I'm still getting used to.

On the B side is a cover song called "Return of the Mack" which is a mid 90s R&B song that I had not ever heard of prior to Jesse's cover.  This one is definitely on the slower side of things and honestly, it doesn't really do a whole lot for me.  Maybe it's more clever if you know the original, but for an uncultured heathen like me, it just sounds like a slow song where there isn't a lot going on that connects with me.  Still, Gentleman Jesse has built up more than enough goodwill with me over the years that will make me keep buying his records.  I'm just the type that likes the faster, poppier side of his catalog a bit more.

Gentleman Jesse - Where Time Stands Still 7":
https://drunkdialrecords.bandcamp.com/album/drunk-dial-12-gentleman-jesse

Gentleman Jesse - Compass 7"

Third Man (2022)

I will admit to being disappointed when the last Gentleman Jesse full length, Lose Everything, came out.  While it certainly wasn't bad, I found it to be a little more down than I was really wanting out of one of his records.  His prior two albums were so bright and energetic, but comparison Lose Everything seemed kind of depressing.  The songs were will written and well executed, I just never really find myself wanting to listen to them.

That brings us to this companion 7" that was released on Third Man Records.  I bought it ages ago, but just wasn't motivated to listen to it.  It's been sitting in a pile of 7"s to review ever since I got it.  But, I figure it's time to go through it.  The A side is "Compass," which is also on the full length.  It's an OK song I guess, but not the one I would have focused on for a 7" single.  But I bought this for the two B sides.

First off is "True," a cover by a band called The Fans that I'm not familiar with.  I can't compare it to the original, but this Gentleman Jesse version is a fun, fairly upbeat jam.  It's catchy and plays well with Jesse's trademark guitar jangle.  The second is an original called "Protecting Nothing."  I probably like this song better than anything that actually made the album.  It's way faster and has more in common with the first two Gentleman Jesse records.  That's probably why it didn't make it on to the new one, thematically it feels like an outlier, but if I'm being honest I would rather have an album full of songs like this.

Gentleman Jesse - "True":
https://soundcloud.com/gentlemanjesse/true

Gentleman Jesse - "Protecting Nothing":
https://soundcloud.com/thirdmanrecords/gentleman-jesse-protecting-nothing

Gentleman Jesse - Lose Everything LP - Jade Vinyl (/200)

Beach Impediment (2021)

Here comes another late contender for best records of the year lists.  Gentleman Jesse hasn't had a new album since 20212's classic, Leaving Atlanta.  In the nearly ten years since that record came out, I've been hoping against hope that there would be a follow up and it's finally here. 

Lose Everything is a very good record.  Though it's sonically a different animal from his prior two albums.  While it is still rooted in power pop, there's more than a touch of melancholy to these proceedings.  Flat out, several of the songs are something of a bummer, even though said bummer is presented with excellent melodies and nice, jangly guitar.  But there's a few songs where the production and the mood bring things down a bit, like the one-two punch of "Million Sorrows" and "God Is Blind."

That's not to say Jesse isn't still capable of cranking out some upbeat earworms. The second half of this album is particularly strong with "Hunger," "Come Along" and the title track, "Lose Everything" being as good or better than anything Jesse has previously concocted.  

It's not like it isn't easy to understand why folks are down these days.  From pandemic anxiety to little things like watching democracy erode, there's a lot going on that sucks pretty hard right now.  Lose Everything is kind of perfect in that regard.  It's a reflection of 2021 through a Gentleman Jesse album.  While I personally like his first album's upbeat vibe a bit better, it's not like I don't understand the value of an album like this.  It's definitely a grower as I find more to like about it each time I listen.

Gentleman Jesse - Lose Everything:
https://beachimpedimentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/lose-everything

Gentleman Jesse & His Men - Bryan 7" (/200)

Wild Honey (2019)

It's been so long since there was a new release from Gentleman Jesse that I thought there would never been another one.  Then, out of nowhere, Wild Honey announced that they would be selling a new two song 7" at the Fuzzville Festival in Spain, limited to two hundred copies.  Well, I knew there was no way I was getting to Spain and I don't think I know anyone in Spain who could have picked one up for me, so I started to stress out about how I was going to get my hands on this record.

I wish I had a really creative story about how I was able to track one down, but inexplicably a copy just popped up on Discogs a few weeks ago.  I grabbed it immediately at a very reasonable price as I would have been willing to pay significantly more if necessary.  I'm very lucky to have been able to get this record and I have to just chalk it up to dumb luck, but I'll take it.

The two new songs on this 7" were recorded during the Leaving Atlanta sessions.  A side "Bryan" is upbeat and reminds me of my very favorite Gentleman Jesse song "I Don't Wanna Know."  On the B side is "Hate To See You Say."  This one has a slower tempo, more reminiscent of the lower key moments of Leaving Atlanta, but still every bit a poppy of an earworm as anything else Jesse has ever release.

I'm really thrilled to finally have a few new Gentleman Jesse songs.  I can only hope this somehow leads to another album one day.  Jesse writes some of my very favorite songs and I just want to hear more of them.

Gentleman Jesse & His Men - "Bryan":
https://wildhoneyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/bryan-hate-to-see-you-stay

Cops - Premonitions 7" - Clear Vinyl (/100)

Cops - Premonitions 7" - Clear Vinyl (/100), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Rob's House (2012)

Cops features Gentleman Jesse & GG King and this 7" is a throw back to their days together in the Carbonas. A sting of fast, short catchy songs that in my mind could have easily fit in on the last Carbonas record that Goner put out. This is kind of what I wish the GG King stuff had evolved into. Even though the label put these up for sale a few weeks back on their website without warning people on their mailing list, I was still lucky enough to get a copy on clear vinyl, thanks to a heads up from @andrewhickey a few days after they went on sale.

Cops - Premonitions:
www.robshouserecords.com

Gentleman Jesse - Leaving Atlanta LP - Green/White Split Color Vinyl(/100)

Gentleman Jesse - Leaving Atlanta LP - Green/White Split Color Vinyl (/100), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Douchemaster (2012)

Let me start out by saying how much I love the 1st Gentleman Jesse record. It was one of the best records I've heard in the last 5 years, just about flawless from start to finish. Leaving Atlanta blows that record out of the water. I almost cannot comprehend how amazing this record ended up being. It's so easy to be disappointed when a band puts out an amazing debut LP. It's almost expected that the follow-up will be just a notch lower. Leaving Atlanta defies those odds.

Right off the bat, the first big and most obvious change is the addition of keyboards to the band, and it is a stellar addition. Mostly in the background, adding to the fullness of sound, similar to how Snuff uses keyboard in their songs. Every song on here is perfectly constructed and tight as hell. From open to close, it's just one perfect power pop song after the next.

Douchemaster was a bit sneaky and put this album on sale in the middle of the night. Luckily I wake up super early for work, so I was still able to score a copy of the limited colored vinyl. It would have been a bummer to have to pay eBay prices for this guy, though I do still need to pick up the regular version on black vinyl as I do collect variants when it comes to Gentleman Jesse records.

Gentleman Jesse - Eat Me Alive:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7Ax2yY5PZ4

Gentleman Jesse - Take It Easy On Me:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaETDYqpdkI