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 - 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