Less Than Jake

Bio

The story of ska-rockin’ maestros Less Than Jake isn’t told in their sizable  discography. It can’t be calculated by the amount of road miles they’ve  logged. (But if we’re forced to calculate, we think they might be a block or  two short of the Van Allen belts.) Nah! Less Than Jake’s cumulative worth  is all about what they bring to your party. From sweaty club shows to  uproarious festival dates to opening up for America’s most beloved rock  acts, these five lifers’ deeds are best measured in the smiles they’ve  slapped on the faces of true believers and new listeners, alike. 

Silver Linings is the name of the new Less Than Jake album, their first full length for the Pure Noise label and the follow-up to 2013’s See The Light. It  also doubles as a bunch of sonic diary pages and a mission statement that  cements their conviction after two decades in this rock ‘n’ roll circus.  Indeed, LTJ—frontman/guitarist Chris DeMakes, bassist/vocalist Roger  Lima, trombonist Buddy Schaub, saxophonist Peter “JR” Wasilewski and  new drummer Matt Yonker—have escaped most (but not all) forms of  ennui, depression and violence against screen-based objects to create an  endorsement of humanity. 

Silver Linings also does a good amount of myth-exploding in its pursuit of  joy. The songwriting core of DeMakes, Lima and Wasilewski wrote all the  lyrics. New drummer Matt Yonker, whose former positions included LTJ tour  manager and hammering along with such punk outfits as the Teen Idols  and the Queers, helps bring a new sense of urgency. And that album title?  Yeah, that was decided upon long before bands began to offer face masks  in their online merch stores. Pro tip: Dial back your preconceived notions.  The only things the Jakes have to prove are to themselves. Their laurels  aren’t so comfortable that they’d willingly choose to be painted into a retro colored corner. 

While Silver Linings doesn’t skimp on the joy, fun or grooves, careful  listeners will sense a bit more reality seeping into LTJ’s escapism. The  calisthenic bounce of “Lie To Me” is slightly undercut by Lima’s tales of how  “the flames we hold the closest burn the worse.” On the urgent track “The  Test,” DeMakes dares to seek some self-examination through someone  else’s prism. “Dear Me” might be the first rock song that doesn’t couch its  disdain for technology with poetic metaphors. That track addresses the loss  of friends via distance and tragedy. The word “love” also appears in the  album’s lyrics at three junctures. That detail should not be lost on anyone.  

“We allowed ourselves to be vulnerable,” offers Wasilewski. “In the past,  previous records’ lyrics were about leaving a specific place or time. This is 

more about the departures in our personal lives: family, friends,  relationships. We’ve never really explored that side. With this record, we  tried to pull back that curtain. We’re showing some fragility in a time when  people seem so hardened. 

“We’re not looking for silver linings,” he clarifies. “The record is  about appreciating them. Nobody appreciates them until maybe it’s too late  or maybe it’s after the fact.” 

Don’t worry. The phrase “woe is we” isn’t in the LTJ lexicon. “King Of The  Downside” is the best self-affirmation track we can learn from. “Monkey  Wrench Myself” could either mean fixing one’s self or hammering said tool  repeatedly into your noggin just because you can. (“Gonna do what you  told me not to/I’m gonna get myself through.”) “Bill” is a loving, full-throttled  tribute to legendary drummer/producer Bill Stevenson. As a member of  crucial punk outfits Black Flag, Descendents and ALL, he helped blaze the  trails driven on by every aggregate describing themselves with a “-punk”  suffix. LTJ know this and have acted accordingly. And if you’ve been paying  attention, you already know that “So Much Less” features Wasilewski’s first  ever sax solo on an LTJ record. 

What else do you need to know about Less Than Jake in 2020? The band  would tell you quite unpretentiously that they are here to bring a good time.  Of course, LTJ would’ve said the exact same thing back in ’97, 2006, 2011  or 2018 when the Warped Tour’s punk ‘n’ roll roadshow was coming to an  end. What makes things different now? Why, nothing less than a divided  nation and a dangerous pandemic. Consider Less Than Jake the first  responders when your psyche doesn’t think it wants to continue. Because  we do need all the joy and levity a seasoned ska-punk band can dish out.  The reality that LTJ are also feeling reminds us that some kind of triumph is  within our reach. 

“We hope that the record transports you,” Wasilewski resigns. “We’ve  always hoped our music takes listeners from the troubles of the world.  Nowadays, that very act seems to be more important. Once you turn your  phone and your TV off and venture outside with a mask, and actually talk to  someone else, you realize that the world is not the worst place ever. We  hope the takeaway from this album is that there is always a light at the end  of the tunnel. It’s not that hard—it’s just easier to be downtrodden.” 

In 2020, there’s no “scene,” merely good times and worse ones. For Less  Than Jake to call their new album anything else but Silver Linings?  Well, that would be fronting.

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