Ska heroes Less Than Jake serve up seven sumptuous slices of ska-punk
There’s no way to stop growing old, but that doesn’t mean you have to grow up. At least not entirely. Admittedly, that’s easier to do when the arrested development of being in a band is your life compared to having to slug it out in a soulless cubicle in an even more soulless job.
Which is why, 32 years after they formed in Gainesville, Florida, ska-punk stalwarts Less Than Jake are still making music that’s youthful and full of a joie de vivre that belies their age. This seven-song EP arrives four years after their last full-length, 2020’s Silver Linings, and is infused, musically at any rate, with the same sense of optimism and vitality that that record had in abundance. That ebullience is, of course, inherent in the nature of this stuff, because, well, horns will do that to you. It’s as simple as that.
What’s helped make Less Than Jake so successful over the past three-plus decades, however, is tempering the upbeat and positive vibes of their sound with less upbeat and positive lyrics courtesy of co-lead vocalists Roger Lima and Chris DeMakes.
So, while the juvenile bounce of Broken Words might sound like fun, it’s actually a rumination on overthinking and trying to say exactly what you feel. Similarly, the frenetic rush of Walking Pipebomb is full of emotional frustration, and the chirpy strains of Brand New Day are underpinned by a subtle but noticeable jadedness that’s at odds with the tune itself. It’s a tension that comes full bloom on Dead Days (Over And Over), this EP’s infectious and undoubted highlight, and Shake Loose The Truth, the finale that—in an alternative universe—could almost be a blink-182 song.
Uncharted won’t change the world, nor does it actually explore uncharted territory for LTJ. But it doesn’t really need to. A fun and spirited set of tunes.
Verdict: 3/5
For Fans Of: Goldfinger, NOFX, Reel Big Fish
Uncharted is out now via Pure Noise
