Less Than Jake: Sound The Alarm [EP Review]

Ska-punk veterans Less Than Jake are back! Yeah! Not that they ever really went anywhere; this release came as a bit of a surprise when it was a because it doesn’t seem like the band have really taken any time out to write and record anything.

You could assume that an EP from a band like Less Than Jake is nothing more than an excuse to add new material to their live set, but that’s probably not the case. I’ve seen the band live around 15 times since 2003 and they’ve never seemed bothered with making sure the live set is packed with new album tracks. Not that they’re a band that exist purely for nostalgia, but they seem to be aware that a lot of people are more interested in hearing songs from Anthem than anything else. Listening to this EP though, that shouldn’t be the case.

This EP, for me, is exactly what I want a Less Than Jake record to sound like. Part third wave ska, part early 2000s pop punk. It’s catchy, it’s got big choruses and more importantly, there isn’t a track on here that wouldn’t slot neatly into their greatest hits live sets.

A particular highlight is the lead single, Bomb Drop. It’s interesting because it reminds me of New Riot, a UK ska-punk band from days gone by that we’re heavily influenced by Less Than Jake.

After so many years at it, you could forgive this band if they decided to just phone it in and churn out lukewarm albums and EPs while reliving the glory days. Some bands from the same era are still on tour and haven’t released an album in years. Fortunately for us all, Less Than Jake are still on top form. NOFX released possibly the best album of their 30+ year career a few months ago. Less Than Jake are showing signs that they might have that in them too!