Welcome home, Less Than Jake.
After flirting with the mainstream over the last couple of albums and picking up derisory comments for the lack of horns/too much emphasis on the pop, ‘GNV FLA’ is a real return to the sound that blew them up big in the first place. I couldn’t say this record, the band’s ninth full length studio album, is as qood as ‘Hello Rockview’ and I wouldn’t even say it’s quite the same as ‘Pezcore’ or ‘Losing Streak’, but it is more ‘Borders and Boundaries’ than ‘Anthem’. And I know that will please a lot of people.
Not that you’d guess from the start of ‘GNV FLA’ (so named after their hometown of Gainesville, Florida). LTJ are at their best when they have horns parping and guitars flexing their rifftacular muscles, yet ‘City Of Gainesville’ is possibly the slowest track on the album. It’s not bad per se, it’s just…unexpected. For a band who promised a more ‘traditional’ new album, this wasn’t the way I expected it to go. So I was delighted when the album picked up from ‘The State Of Florida’ and carried on through to last track (although the UK release has 15 songs) ‘Devil In My DNA’. The rumours that this record would be a back-to-basics return to form are true. There’s horns a plenty and the style and structure of the songs sound more like ‘Borders…’ influence than any other album. The production is less polished too, which I am sure will delight the hardcore fans who disliked ‘In With The Out Crowd’.
So after listening to this record for pretty much two days solid I’m glad to report back there are many classic LTJ tunes in the making here. Don’t expect ‘Pezcore’ sillyness, but at the same time it’s Back to the Future time with tracks like ‘Malachi Richter’s Liquor’s Quicker’ and ‘Conviction Notice’ buzzing from the speakers. There are many highlights, it has to be said and it’s difficult to guess which tracks will be the singles. There are some strong songs, although none stand out in the same way as ‘All My Best Friends…’ or ‘She’s Gonna Break Soon’ in terms of obvious hits. There are still singles in the making here though, just in a different way. I’d be lying if I said every song is a winner, but when the brass section is going at it full pelt and Roger and Chris are trading vocal blows, it’s like a trip back to 2000.
2008 – the summer of ska? Don’t bet against it…