For those of you unfamiliar with Vancouver’s own Jesse Lebourdais, let me give you a brief introduction. He is the lead singer of a melodic hardcore/punk band named Cambridge. He is also an accomplished folk punk solo artist with three solo albums to his credit with his latest being I Go By The Sound.
The album was posted on Jesse’s bandcamp page Wednesday night, and I have to admit (and I have to pull this off this cheesy reference and there may be more on the way) that I have been “following the sound” ever since and listening any chance I have gotten.
I don’t know where to start on the accolades for this album. The song writing is sublime and in true folk fashion the story telling is rich (I am definitelythinking I must be smitten like a school girl right now because I am using words that are not normal for me). Combine the storytelling with Lebourdais’ one of a kind vocal stylings and you have characters in the songs that sound, seem, and feel so familiar that it is almost as if they are old friends. Check out “Union Man” for the best example of this.
From top to bottom the 13 tracks that comprise I Go By The Sound are stellar but my personal favourite is the title track. But I do have to say that my one issue with this song is when Lebroudais belts out a reference to his music as “a testament to a life well wasted.” I do have to say to Mr. Lebourdais that even if you never write another song, your life is not wasted in the least.