Review Summary: The unwanted tracks from Anthem ironically prove the charm of Less Than Jake.
Compared to most of the reviewers on this site, I know atrociously little about the bands I like. Years of explorative sampling of random bands that have either received favourable reviews on this site or revealed themselves to me in another enticing manner have brought me to a state of sonic nibbling. I've been rewarded more times than I've been let down, but because of my constant fervor in searching out new, exciting sounds I often disregard superfluous details like the troubled beginnings of a band or the difficulties that were provoked during the recording of an album I enjoy immensely. To be quite frank, I really don't care much about it unless those details are particularly juicy or noteworthy.
To this end, I believe I review albums from a relaxed standpoint, assuming the role of the everyman. I aim my ramblings at those who may have never heard of the band or have only been exposed to the commercially successful records. I, for one, care as much about the album's back story as I do the intricate, everyday details of Justin Bieber or the latest little *** who sings without testicles and glares at the cameraman behind a feminine fringe like the cameraman just grounded him. I like to think that my lazy attitude towards everything except the sound simplifies and streamlines the review to a somewhat pithy, unbloated opinion.
Or I could be doing it completely wrong, I don't know.
Hence my surprise when I discovered that
B Is For B-Sides was the unreleased remnants of Less Than Jake's
Anthem, regarded as their most popular album and the collaboration that initially wooed me onto LTJ's wagon. While I, and I suspect many others, were introduced to the energetic, brass filled laments of a bunch of twenty-something no-hopers via
Anthem, it perplexes me that so many of these high octane tracks were put to the chopping board. While
Anthem altered the established sound with varying success,
B Is For B-Sides showcases where Less Than Jake excel the most.
For the uninitiated, Less Than Jake have been pumping out ska punk tunes for quite a while now, acclaimed for their upbeat get-up-and-dance numbers that speed along at locomotive-like velocity. The high spirited dual vocalists Chris Demakes and Roger Manganelli fuse a fast burning fuel into their songs to complement the sonic rave that the pop-punk guitar riffs and well placed brass section create, and these aspects are no more obvious than on
B Is For B-Sides. Portrait of a Cigarette Smoker at 19 hits the ground running at full speed, propelled by the shallow but swift build up of only drums, which is joined by the bass, guitars, and vocals in turn. The congruent theme saturates every song from then until the album's conclusion.
If it wasn't already obvious, Less Than Jake aren't a smug, politically minded bunch of prigs wailing about war or the state of the world, nor do they mourn the tortured loss of a girlfriend (thank God.) Their lyrics reflect a reckless, self destructive mindset, enduring the endless stream of crap that life throws while suffering through the negative consequences of their own actions. Lyrics like "It's been such a slow decay, day to day, I don't even recognise my own face" and "ever get that funny feeling that your future is not going to be legit? and that For Sale sign that's hanging on your neck might as well spell defeat" paint a picture of loathing and scraping a living together. Thus, due to the contrasting vibe of the catchy guitar riffs and infectious sing-a-long vocals,
B Is For B-Sides becomes a cathartic musical experience after a particularly bad day. Crooning along, belting out lines about life's hardships amidst a trombone infused pop-punk chorus provides a fantastic opportunity to unburden oneself.
B Is For B-Sides isn't all about blaming fate and pining for the past, however. Several standout tracks opt to expose the materialistic and sometimes ignorantly pigheaded of society for the blights that they are in Robots One, Humans Zero and Science? Showbiz? Who Cares? respectively. There is even an example of positive thinking in Last Rites to Sleepless Nights, which is a welcome variance. While the lyrics are well suited, don't expect anything terribly deep or poetic. "To the point" and "blatant" are two accurate synonyms, resisting the urge to skirt coyly around the subject matter and instead charge stubbornly into it.
While I'm ignorant to the reasons that
Anthem disowned the tracks of
B Is For B-Sides in favour of some unappealing songs, it highlights both lyrically and conceptually that the unwanted and depressed are capable of producing something indelibly entertaining. The spirit of Less Than Jake is in these orphaned songs that any lover of peppy, lively songs will enjoy.
