When a band has been around as long as Less Than Jake have, the members have an important choice to make. They can either try some new directions, and grow and mature with their music, or they can simply retreat to making the same album over and over again. (
Pennywise, anyone?)
Less Than Jake have never been content to remain static, and their sound has evolved with every new release. From the hyperactive ska-punk of their earlier albums, they developed some great songwriting ability and a keen sense of melody, both of which made later, poppier albums like "Borders & Boundaries" and "Anthem" such great listens. You would certainly expect the band to continue their musical progression with their latest effort. However, "In With The Out Crowd" is a gigantic step in the wrong direction.
The first thing you notice is the production quality. This album has been assaulted with "studio magic" to within an inch of its' life. The melodies and instrumentation have been watered-down to the point of sheer banality. Chris and Rogers' once distinctive vocals have been auto-tuned almost beyond recognition.
But the production isn't the only thing wrong here. These are easily the worst songs Less Than Jake have ever written. One of the great strengths of "Anthem" were the lyrics, which looked back on the trials and tribulations of youth with a surprising maturity and insight. After great songs like "Look What Happened" and "Escape From The A-Bomb House," the lyrics on this album are downright unacceptable. Take for example, in "Fall Apart," when Roger sings "It's not that hard to just fall apart/I'm falling apart" ad nauseum. Or "Hopeless Case," where Chris does his best impression of a depressed teenager and sings "I've got this feeling inside/That I wouldn't like me if I met me." Can this possibly be the same band we grew up with?
Musically, "In With The Out Crowd" seems tailor-made for pop radio and MTV. "Landmines & Landslides" is a fairly close imitation of Fall Out Boy, while the first single "Overrated" sounds so much like Bowling For Soup it's downright eerie. Elsewhere, the band imitates acoustic emo balladeers ("The Rest Of My Life"), gloomy alterna-rockers ("Hopeless Case"), and MTV pop-punkers ("Mostly Memories," which is perky and poppy enough to bring to mind a 1980s sitcom theme).
But it's not all bad. "Let Her Go" is a valiant attempt to bring back the old-school ska sound of "Hello Rockview," and it's a decent effort, even though it sounds desperately out of place wedged between two of the poppiest songs on the album. The best moments come when the band sounds like they're actually singing and playing from the heart. Songs like the "Borders & Boundaries" influenced "Independence Day," and the closer "PS Shock The World," hint at what a great album this could have been.
As it is, we're left with an album that sounds like nothing more than a sterilized version of a once great band. Fortunately, several of the tracks hint that these guys still have some good songs left in them. With any luck, they'll give us a great album next time around, and we can forget all about the misguided detour that is "In With The Out Crowd."
