Stars: 5/5
Jesse Rutherford releases his second album “GARAGEB&” that further illuminates his success as a solo artist.
Rutherford is the lead singer of The Neighbourhood, who released over 20 songs on “Hard To Imagine The Neighbourhood Ever Changing” just last year, following their EPs and self-titled album. This was the first large collection of music we’ve heard from the band in over 3 years.
I’ve been obsessed with The NBHD for 7 years now, and personally I believe Ever Changing is the best piece of work they’ve put out. It seems like they just keep getting better and better.
I wouldn’t say it was a surprise that Jesse branched out and started to do his own stuff, but I do think it became more real when he made “The Factoury.” He started putting up his own songs on SoundCloud under the alias, and fans really liked it. I was eager to hear more from him, and just like with the band, he’s gotten better as the years have passed.
In 2017 he released his debut album “&” which definitely earned him respect as a solo artist. After that the singer dropped his last name, going forward only as Jesse. He continued his success by working with artists like Goody Grace, Swae Lee and Benny Blanco.
The new album is a great follow up to “&” and is a great representation of Jesse’s overall sound.
Jesse released “Tunnelovision” to tease the album, and later a music video for the song pulling inspiration from iconic artists like Nirvana, blink-182 and Bruce Springsteen. Throughout the video he re-imagines iconic moments from the multiple artists. The video is simplistic, unique and most importantly it’s so Jesse.
If you like The NBHD, you’ll like Jesse’s solo music. He definitely includes some Neighbourhood vibes on songs like “Tunnelovision” and “Girls & Boys” which are the first we hear on the album.
We then hear “R.I.P. OFF” that has a beat that will actually save your life. One of my favorite things about Jesse and his music is that his instrumentals are always insanely good and different from other artists. This song has a beat that’s probably one of my favorites from him, which isn’t easy to say because he has so many amazing songs.
His lyrical abilities are also what he’s known for. Jesse delivers more iconic lines on this album that you instantly want to sing to in your car and wear on t-shirts. Songs like “USAliens” showcase a perfect blend of styles to show Jesse’s musical abilities.
“My Ways” is my absolute favorite from the album and is a classic upbeat Jesse bop. Towards the end of the album you hear more of the 90s influence and nostalgic sounds. “Bi” and “Rock & Roll DJ” are catchy fun tunes that end the album on high note.
Jesse has a style that’s so unique to him that no one could even begin to imitate and that’s what makes him so great. He doesn’t try to do what’s popular or please anyone he just makes music he likes, and you can feel and hear that authenticity in his music.
This is definitely a defining moment for Jesse’s career and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
