Gentleman Jesse – “Protecting Nothing”

A familiar name from the RSTB past surfaces via Third Man this week. Atlanta’s power pop powerhouse Jesse Smith has been a staple of the site for as long as I can remember. Now he’s got a new single coming for the label, this time flying just under the Gentleman Jesse name (sans His Men). Suppose the men were all busy this time around, but Jesse’s still propelling his sound as tight as ever, bounding out of the speakers with caffeinated riffs and a nasal croon that’s always welcome around these parts. The single appear on a new 7″ EP, Compass, which will rope in the single, “Protecting Nothing,” alongside “Compass” which appeared on his last album and a cover of Atlanta punks The Fans. The new single was co-penned by Greg Cartwright aka Greg Oblivion (The Oblivions, Reigning Sound, The Detroit Cobras) which is a collaboration I’d love to see continue towards a larger release. That aside, this one’s a killer. The 7″ is out now.