Comedian/Actor Jon Lajoie Makes Debut As Wolfie’s Just Fine With Debut LP ‘I Remembered but Then I Forgot’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

[rating=5.00]

When you find out that Wolfie’s Just Fine is the serious musical project for Jon Lajoie, who is probably best known for his role as Taco on The League, it makes you skeptical. How can a guy who plays a guy named Taco produce something worthwhile? Particularly if you’re familiar with his comedy albums he’s recorded in the past, which feature trying-to-be-funny, really-just-sexist tracks like “Show Me Your Genitals,” you might pass up Lajoie’s latest project, I Remembered but Then I Forgot. But this skepticism works in the Canadian actor/musician’s favor, because the first track on the record will bowl you over.

“It’s A Job” is a beautiful mix of Dodos-quality lilting acoustic guitar and comfortable, folksy vocals. Even though it’s spring, this song transports the listener immediately to fall and crunchy leaves and grade school.

None of the other nine tracks on I Remembered quite live up to “It’s a Job.” Musically, “A New Beginning” is lovely, but lyrically, it’s horrific — sung from the point of view of a voyeur watching a girl have sex with her boyfriend and then get murdered by “Jason” (presumably the Friday the 13th hockey-mask wearer?), it’s unsettling and difficult to listen to. “Todd and Janelle” has a clap-along groove, but despairing lyrics about a failing relationship that blame the dog and the kid instead of having the auteur do any self-reflecting.

“Marie-Eve” is probably the second best song on the record. On this track, Lajoie returns to quiet guitar picking and friendlier vocals, and lyrically his protagonist is far more vulnerable — wondering if his object of desire notices his updated fashion.

I Remembered but Then I Forgot is a fascinating album from an unlikely source. Musically, it lives in the folk genre, although it can rock harder (like on the gospel-esque “I Forgot”) or softer (on the Bon Iver-infused “Pigeon Lady”). Lyrically, it’s reflective at times, cocksure at others, and in its worst moments, outright disturbing. Still, it’s an interesting and far more welcome artistic output from a guy who plays a guy named Taco, and it gives hope to what may come.

[youtube id=”LZ5UsXXmnb4″ width=”630″ height=”350″]