LESS THAN JAKE
‘SILVER LININGS’
(Pure Noise Records)
Anthemic and original 7-11 American Ska-Punk that is all.
7/10
Florida Ska-Punks Less Than Jake returns with their ninth studio album (and it’s their first for seven years), the strangely impressive ‘Silver Linings’. Ska-Punk’s seemingly unbreakable longevity and ever-growing popularity in the face of a plethora of more thought-provoking genres only highlights our basic human need for entertainment, singing and, well, skanking. Album opener ‘The High Cost Of Low Living’ bursts into life with a spray of brass, chugging riffs and “I party to forget” lyrics. Initially, it feels slightly disappointing but then at the same time, it’s both a familiar and bizarrely comforting sound. You see, I honestly believe, your own “cool” gene will want you to dismiss or even hate this album, but once you embrace it, you’ll be bouncing around the kitchen like a pissed teenager.
‘Lie To Me’ patches up the ill-fated relationship broken heart ala ‘Self Esteem’ while ‘Keep On Chasing’ provides another, you know what I’m really kinda liking this tune, moment. The cut slowly pushes a checkered van on the accelerator while jabbing away cliches before dropping a gear and speeding off into the MTV rocks sunset. ‘Anytime And Anywhere’ continues the bob and weave sparring session of guitar, horn and catchy chorus before a mask removing ‘The Test’ canters alongside a battered 2-Tone sidecar. Both ‘Dear Me’ and ‘Monkey Wrench Myself’ fall through the middle album cracks whereas ‘King Of The Downside’ has a gloriously reassuring coming of age at Stifler’s house post-prom kind of vibe. Emotional last orders are called on the Bacardi splashed ‘Lost At Home’ before the superlative ‘Bill’ and the, see my scars, album closer ‘So Much Less’ complete this deliberately unapologetic take it or leave it Ska-Punk cracker.
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