See the Light

In punk rock’s infancy, it was assumed that bands wouldn’t last long. As the decades soldiered on, some punk groups expanded into ska and other genres, where expectations were very different and calls of “sellout” would be nearly nonexistent. Less Than Jake were already a sharp, composed group of accomplished-sounding musicians by the time they got things going. That the band can still rock hard and with consistency in 2013 is testament to the idea that if you keep the lineup fairly stable and don’t try anything too commercially egregious, fans will stick with you. Songs such as “Bless the Cracks,” “American Idle,” “Sunstroke," and “Give Me Something to Believe In, Inc.” are all the evidence one needs to check off that Less Than Jake still write and play with engagement and should be proud of their consistency. The harmonies are still note-perfect, and the melodies are still worth getting hooked into your head.