Ska-punk scamps Less Than Jake have been recording, touring, and starting drunken teenage parties around the world for closing in on three decades now. But, just like their legions of fans, they’re growing up and growing older. It's been seven years since their last studio album See The Light was released, and there must have been some out there among us that were wondering in the intervening years if we’d ever get them back.

2017’s seven-track EP Sound The Alarm scratched the itch for fans, but there’s nothing to match a full-length release. And, with Silver Linings, Less Than Jake have delivered not just some of their best material in years, but some of their best material ever.

Opening number The High Cost Of Low Living is quintessential Less Than Jake: a big bouncy chorus, horns in all the right places, sweet key changes, and a whole lot of fun. Lie To Me is another great example of what the band do so well: punchy riffs and glorious vocal interplay between Chris and Roger, with lyrics that tell a story.

The Test is another stunning example of that dynamic between the band’s two singers, while Dear Me is an out and out punk belter with skidding guitars and pulsating drums. Lost At Home takes the band into ska territory, and Bill is a wonderful tribute to Descendents drummer Bill Stevenson. As the first Less Than Jake record without founding member, songwriter and drummer Vinnie Fiorello, Silver Linings came with a sense of apprehension. But new drummer Matt Yonker has done an incredible job in assimilating and adding some serious menace and dynamism to the band’s sound.

His work on Monkey Wrench Myself is a case in point, propelled along as it is by a ferocious drumline. Less Than Jake haven’t broken any of their boundaries here. Instead, what we get is a superb collection of tracks that combine the raw energy and excitement of their early years, with a sense of refinement and professionalism that can only come with age and experience.

Silver Linings tracklist:

1. The High Cost Of Low Living

2. Lie To Me

3. Keep On Chasing

4. Anytime And Anywhere

5. The Test

6. Dear Me

7. Monkey Wrench Myself

8. King Of The Downside

9. Lost At Home

10. Move

11. Bill

12. So Much Less

Watch the official video for Lie To Me

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.