GENTLEMAN JESSE – I Wonder if You Would Even Notice: Singles and Rarities

One of the brighter stars from the mid-oughties, an era when power pop was on the rise among punks and the Pitchfork crowd alike, Gentleman Jesse burst onto the scene in 2006 with their first single, “I Don’t Wanna Know (Where You Been Tonight).” Sporting the Carbonas’ rhythm section as well as their rough-and-ready DIY approach–via drummer Dave Rahn–,Gentleman Jesse conjures comparisons to the Nerves in how they filter drama and desperation through pop sensibilities. Also like the Nerves, Gentleman Jesse writes upbeat, breezy numbers that are best blasted on the car stereo at 80 miles per hour. This album tracks the first five years of the group’s progress across 16 songs, from early demos to a string of punchy, danceable singles. The guitars may not be distorted, but, far from being saccharine or kitschy, Gentleman Jesse is truly more POWER than POP. Each record features a layout chock full of photos from the first half a decade of existence with liner notes by the Gentleman himself.