Ska-punk kings Less Than Jake mature for Borders
By BRIAN KORNMANN
Scene Music Critic
Two years after its last release, Less Than Jake has returned to the ska scene with the release of its 8th album, Borders and Boundaries.
True to its road-dog image, the Gainesville, Fla. band spent the last two years touring with the likes of Twisted Sister, Blink 182, and Bon Jovi (seriously). Due to its rigorous touring schedule and some personnel changes within the band, it took a year in half following the release of Hello Rockview for the band to even return to the studio. Despite these setbacks, the album was definitely worth the wait.
In addition to making the label jump from Capital Records to Fat Wreck Chords (NOFX's front-man Fat Mike's label) there are many other differences between Borders and Boundaries and previous Less Than Jake releases. The band chose to team with punk legends Bill Stephenson (Black Flag, Descendents, All) and Stephen Eggerton (Descendants, All). With these two behind the production on the album, one notices an immediate difference of quality from any previous Less Than Jake album.
The bass and guitar come through very cleanly on the album, as does the horn section of the band. In addition to sounding much cleaner, the album does a better job of capturing the live Less Than Jake sound better than any of its prior releases.
On Borders and Boundaries, the band also shows more musical maturity then any of its prior releases. This is most evident in the band's shift from three-chord punk-ska, to more of a rock `n' roll sound. The shift in sound is comparable to the shift the Pietasters made a few years ago to play a much more blues oriented ska then traditional ska.
About eight of the 15 tracks on Borders and Boundaries showcase this shift in music by the band. On first listen, the ardent Less Than Jake fan may feel the first few tracks are slower and somewhat lacking, but the album grows on you quickly.
The album itself flows well, with the songs leading easily into each other. No track sticks out alone as being out of place or weaker than the rest. This combined with the fact the entire album clocks in just shy of 41 minutes makes the album a relatively quick and very easy listen.
Borders and Boundaries opens and closes with a bang. The first three tracks on the album, "Magnetic North," "Kehoe" and "Suburban Myth" are outstanding, serving well to introduce the listener to what to expect from the album as a whole — an excellent mix of rock `n' roll and ska sound. The final three songs on the album, "Last Hour of the Last Day of the Week," "Bigger Picture" and "Faction" are faster than the other songs on the album and help close out the disc with a bang, leaving you wishing there was one more track to listen to.
Borders and Boundaries is an excellent album, one that will appease both the hardcore Less Than Jake fans, as well as the majority of those who pick up the album for a casual listen. Overall, the album rates as Less Than Jake's second best effort to date, behind the groundbreaking Losing Streak which helped to establish the band as a leader in the then developing ska scene. Any fans of Less Than Jake will enjoy this album and should add it to their collection. Both these casual fans and those new to Less Than Jake will probably enjoy this album.
All Scene Stories for Tuesday, February 13, 2001
