Jesse Smith plays a short, sweet, and hook-filled brand of rock and roll. His self-titled debut— Gentleman Jesse & His Men—is an assortment of foot-stomping rhythms, jangling guitars, and catchy vocal harmonies akin to Buddy Holly & The Crickets.
Formerly a bassist and guitarist for Atlanta punk outfit The Carbonas, Smith brings a straightforward and aggressive approach to his music. There’s no soloing or needless wandering; it’s fast and direct pop music that immediately catches your ear.
Formerly a bassist and guitarist for Atlanta punk outfit The Carbonas, Smith brings a straightforward and aggressive approach to his music. There’s no soloing or needless wandering; it’s fast and direct pop music that immediately catches your ear.
Smith is a flag bearer of sorts for a style of rock perfected by Elvis Costello, Wreckless Eric, and most recently, the Exploding Hearts. The Exploding Hearts released one of the greatest pop-punk records of all time in 2003 with Guitar Romantic. Tragically, just four months after the record’s release, three of the four band members were killed in a car accident.
Gentleman Jesse & His Men keep the Hearts’ classic sound alive with songs like “Highland Crawler,” “Black Hole” and “All I Need Tonight (Is You)." It's a simple formula—power chords, snare drum, sing-a-long choruses—and it's nothing new, but who really cares? It's damn good.
Take a taste:
Gentleman Jesse - "All I Need Tonight (Is You)" (mp3)
The Exploding Hearts - "Sleeping Aides and Razor Blades" (mp3)
Buy Gentleman Jesse: Amazon, EMusic, iTunes
Buy Gentleman Jesse: Amazon, EMusic, iTunes
Matt - Looks awesome!! Will peruse more later!
ReplyDeleteBig D.