Less Than Jake - In With the Out Crowd

[Jason Tate]

Less Than Jake - In With the Out Crowd
Release Date: May 23, 2006
Record Label: Warner Brothers Records

Less Than Jake have been doing the whole, "we're a band thing" for longer than most of those reading this review have probably been into this whole "scene." They released one of the best albums I overplayed during my high-school years (Hello Rockview); and they continue to get shit from kids who can't get over the fact that they won't release the same album over and over. What one needs to remember is that Less Than Jake have proved their not a flash in the pan band. They've been writing hit songs for years. While it's hard for me to picture myself listening to some of the pop-bands I enjoy at this stage of my life in 15 years - I can totally see myself still breaking out Less Than Jake albums well into my years.

Now, onto the new album.

It's the hardest album the band's recorded since Hello Rockview.
It has the most horns I've heard since Hello Rockview.
They've returned to Howard Benson as producer (he also did Hello Rockview).
This is not Hello, Rockview Part 2.

The lyrics continue to be some of the most nostalgic I've ever heard, and as a recent college grad, it's hard not to think about all the years that have all too quickly passed me by. The songs flow together well and each contain hints of the band's previous work (quite literally in the first track) while bringing something new to the table.

The stand out tracks are the album kickoff, "Soundtrack to My Life," the brilliant chorus contained within, "Land Mines and Landslides," the power ballad, "The Rest of My Life," the old-school fan favorite, "Let Her Go," and the album's closer, "PS Shock the World." The worst song is by far the single, "Overrated" and with all due respect - it battles "She's Gonna Break Soon" as the worst LTJ song ever written. It proves that at any time the band can write a catchy, hit, pop-song; however, I feel the band is at it's best when they write songs that get stuck in your head not because of the repetitiveness, but because of the aggression and desire to overplay them.

The vocals are vintage Less Than Jake. It's great to see the band continuing in their trend to do dual-vocals and even swapping lead vocals on a few songs. In the day and age of over-dubs, it's refreshing.

I may be in the minority of having loved every Less Than Jake album ever released. I may skip a few songs on a few of them - but as a whole (and based on their ginourmous catalog), I love the vast majority. In With the Out Crowd is no exception, there are a few weaker songs - but the standouts far and away make the album worth the purchase to me.

In high-school I spent hours staring at my ceiling with "History of a Boring Town" playing over and over ... I think a new generation has an album that they can do the same.

It's weird - with Saves the Day and Less Than Jake both releasing extremely solid albums so close together, I feel like I should be heading out to a FenixTX and Home Grown show or something. Truth is that I couldn't be happier with the road both bands have taken, and couldn't be more excited to still have both of them in my life, and in my CD collection.

Less Than Jake (you know if you're a fan), MxPx, and Blink182.

[ AP.net Profile (http://www.absolutepunk.net/lessthanjake) - Official Website (http://www.lessthanjake.com) - Music (http://www.purevolume.com/lessthanjake) ]

[overoverme]

I may be in the minority of having loved every Less Than Jake album ever released. I may skip a few songs on a few of them - but as a whole (and based on their ginourmous catalog), I love the vast majority. In With the Out Crowd is no exception, there are a few weaker songs - but the standouts far and away make the album worth the purchase to me.

Not in the minority at all.
I eat up everything they send to me, and I have been, ever since I started listening to them WELL over seven years ago.
Can't wait for this cd, and great review.

[Nate_RAWKS]

I'm anxious to hear this ...great review.

You're a review writing machine lately aren't you?...i like it.

[Drew Beringer]

Never been a fan.

[Throwback]

Never been a fan.
Blasphemy. I've been rockin LTJ since 7th grade. Losing Streak for life, haha.

[Tony]

it's hard to believe i've loved this band for over 10 years now. it's even harder to believe that i'm not excited for this album (largely because i'm trying to keep from getting disappointed).

[sometripe]

When I heard that first batch of songs I wasn't totally put off, but Overrated definitely sounded pretty shitty and that had me a little worried. I was still optimistic for some reason, maybe because I've always liked what Less Than Jake puts out with only a few songs as exception. I'm hopeful that this CD is as good as you say.

[FatJordan]

Super excited for this album...I cannot wait to hear it.

[radxbandit]

I am so excited, this is one of my favorite bands live and on CD.

[PlusDanny]

It's marked on my calendar. There aren't many bands you can have so much fun with and not feel guilty about it.

[SwishMX48]

I've always loved LTJ and I thought Anthem was sweet...good review, can't wait for this to drop now...

[romantic rights]

great review. and i too love every ltj album.

[btbam > you]

my all time favorite band.. for ten years and counting

[catchmealone]

So you are saying the rest of the album is much better than "Overrated"? Because I wanted to puke when I heard that song live, it sounded too much like a song off of Anthem. But if the rest of the album is much more like their older stuff, then this is worth checking out.

[skeeter988]

they got me into punk n ive liked pretty much every song ive heard from them so il probally love this album

[capnshindig]

New Less Than Jake, New Saves the Day, New Matches, New Taking Back Sunday, Hit the Lights first full-length and last but certainly not least...Snakes on a Plane, what more could 2006 possibly offer?

[The Revisionist]

It is basically a given that I will buy this, but in my eyes they will never top Borders and Boundaries. :(

[gobblox is...]

It is basically a given that I will buy this, but in my eyes they will never top Borders and Boundaries. :(

this is true.... and i'm glad tate said that it has the most horns since rockview because on their purevolume site there are zero horns in the songs I heard and i got pissed... as much as when the radio edit for their singles were sans hornage.

[bobbob]

For someone who loves Hello Rockview so much, it's amazing you can't even get the name right.

[fredrico0012]

I can't get enough of Less Than Jake. I only have their cds in my car and been listening to them all constantly.

[billcom7]

Why did you have to mention Home Grown? Now I am sad :(

Losers, Kings, and Things I dont Understand is my favorite LTJ album (with Losing streak a very close second) and I am very excited to hear this record. I really cant see LTJ making a crappy album.

[anti_mullet9]

i love less than jake. just listening to them reminds me why i do so much. granted overrated sounded different and kinda not good? but i still like it and will listen to it, im just playing negative sides of optimistic eyes, we, the unispired more. and guess the newer less than jake has the habit of making a song that may not be as strong as some others?, being told that's the best on the album, making a video of it, and realizing it wasn't the best choice i guess. but then comeback with an amazing video. i can't wait for this album to drop. always less than jake.

ps, for all you this album sucks and they need more horns and the whole you need to play losing streak again thing, get over it. yes they were great albums, yes horns are really nice, the facts are that are making NEW music. would you really want to listen to scott farcas pt 2? i would rather turn up the old and blast it then listen to a newbie instead of being reminded of the older songs. ltj.

[anti_mullet9]

ahem, this is a direct quote from vinnie's blog. and after thinking about it, i completly agree with everything he is saying. 18 days of putting your soul into a record and then hearing the critics chop it up.

"Narcissists and the narcotics that love them."

March 19th, 2006 - 2:45 AM

"Let me tell you a few things that are facts, I’ve never liked keg parties, I like the smell of pot smoke but don’t smoke it, and I hate thinking that there isn’t a “perfect” junkfood. - however in past I’ve gone to keg parties, I’ve smoked pot, and I could’ve sworn I ate the perfect junk food usually after do the aformentioned, I tell you this because even the things that I love, hate, and think can for a very brief moment change. I can be a very eloquent hypocrite, I enjoy a good 180 degree turn every now and then to shake up my average day to day insanity.
There’s way too many people lately, ringing my proverbial doorbell telling me what they like and don’t like about our new record, people use words like “surprise” “a turn around” “a new sound” they also use words like “average” or “awesome”. Here’s a fact- I hate rock critics, I hate how they use obscure references, write from strictly the side that best suits there mood, point of view or opinion. These days : Friends are critics, family are critics, strangers are critics, casually slicing and dicing up songs in light hearted conversations or quietly typing at a keyboard staring at a computer screen writing out of passion or politics or payment then sending it out to places where its taken as words of god or the best joke. Here’s the snap in the string - right now I’m enjoying hearing what people are saying at this moment, this is my 180 degree turn, this is me taking the sniper scope off every asshole with a half minded opinion and a advanced copy of our new record. I like to hear the bad and good of what the end result of 18 days in north hollywood is… The difference in what I did and what most kids and critics are doing is that for 18 days I gave it every ounce of my passion, squeezed and screamed, for 18 days I made something that’s will stand on its own as I move on and will stand after people move on from it.. what most of friends/family/critics alike are doing took at most 15 minutes to say or type. I’d love someone to listen to the record for 18 days before forming any thought, one day for each day we recorded. Ah that’s perfect world type shit right there..

Posted by vinnie"



taken from http://pickyourpoisons.com/

[derricklc22]

Less Than Jake - In With the Out Crowd
Release Date: May 23, 2006
Record Label: Warner Brothers Records

Less Than Jake have been doing the whole, "we're a band thing" for longer than most of those reading this review have probably been into this whole "scene." They released one of the best albums I overplayed during my high-school years (Hello Rockview); and they continue to get shit from kids who can't get over the fact that they won't release the same album over and over. What one needs to remember is that Less Than Jake have proved their not a flash in the pan band. They've been writing hit songs for years. While it's hard for me to picture myself listening to some of the pop-bands I enjoy at this stage of my life in 15 years - I can totally see myself still breaking out Less Than Jake albums well into my years.

Now, onto the new album.

It's the hardest album the band's recorded since Hello Rockview.
It has the most horns I've heard since Hello Rockview.
They've returned to Howard Benson as producer (he also did Hello Rockview).
This is not Hello, Rockview Part 2.

The lyrics continue to be some of the most nostalgic I've ever heard, and as a recent college grad, it's hard not to think about all the years that have all too quickly passed me by. The songs flow together well and each contain hints of the band's previous work (quite literally in the first track) while bringing something new to the table.

The stand out tracks are the album kickoff, "Soundtrack to My Life," the brilliant chorus contained within, "Land Mines and Landslides," the power ballad, "The Rest of My Life," the old-school fan favorite, "Let Her Go," and the album's closer, "PS Shock the World." The worst song is by far the single, "Overrated" and with all due respect - it battles "She's Gonna Break Soon" as the worst LTJ song ever written. It proves that at any time the band can write a catchy, hit, pop-song; however, I feel the band is at it's best when they write songs that get stuck in your head not because of the repetitiveness, but because of the aggression and desire to overplay them.

The vocals are vintage Less Than Jake. It's great to see the band continuing in their trend to do dual-vocals and even swapping lead vocals on a few songs. In the day and age of over-dubs, it's refreshing.

I may be in the minority of having loved every Less Than Jake album ever released. I may skip a few songs on a few of them - but as a whole (and based on their ginourmous catalog), I love the vast majority. In With the Out Crowd is no exception, there are a few weaker songs - but the standouts far and away make the album worth the purchase to me.

In high-school I spent hours staring at my ceiling with "History of a Boring Town" playing over and over ... I think a new generation has an album that they can do the same.

It's weird - with Saves the Day and Less Than Jake both releasing extremely solid albums so close together, I feel like I should be heading out to a FenixTX and Home Grown show or something. Truth is that I couldn't be happier with the road both bands have taken, and couldn't be more excited to still have both of them in my life, and in my CD collection.

Less Than Jake (you know if you're a fan), MxPx, and Blink182.

[ AP.net Profile (http://www.absolutepunk.net/lessthanjake) - Official Website (http://www.lessthanjake.com) - Music (http://www.purevolume.com/lessthanjake) ]
Great review. I love LTJ and can totally agree with the points you make in the review. I'm about to graduate college and LTJ just always seem to have some of the best lyrics to identify with.

[bubonic311]

Why did you have to mention Home Grown? Now I am sad :(

Yeah what happened to Home Grown? I know Adam is playing in New Years Day (http://www.purevolume.com/newyearsday), but is the band on hiatus?

[sc0ttm]

Yeah what happened to Home Grown? I know Adam is playing in New Years Day (http://www.purevolume.com/newyearsday), but is the band on hiatus?

yeah and trash is doing red panda. although i heard somewhere that he wants to put out at least one more homegrown album. so we shall see.

back on topic
can't wait to hear in with the out crowd. the video for overrated looks like it's gonna be pretty sweet as well.

[jpgretzky15]

May 23! perfect release date. LTJ is the ultimate summer band.

[jusscali]

only listened through once....but i like it. not sure where i put it in the mix though

[The Revisionist]

This leaked! And it blows!

:'(

[TBSowns524]

i picked it up today. nothing really has stood out to me through 2 listens, but i'm sure it will grow on me. i definitely disagree that this is the most horns since hello rockview. anthem had more horns than this album imo

[chipsahoycookie]

this album is terrible. beyond that, they have hitmakers write some of the songs on here like "overated." don't believe me? look at the liner notes. 4/12 were written by old ladies and mark hoppus. vinnie is full of shit.

[skamanjake]

man oh man. this cd makes me want to shit. i listened to the songs that they had on their website before i bought the cd and i knew it was gonna be bad. but i had no idea what i was in for. any long-time fans will tell you that this is the worst album to date. whats with all this whimpering and crying? i want some angry yelling and A FUCKING HORN SECTION. anyone who likes this album is no better than the band is for making it. Now instead of having some diehard punk/ska fans comming to the shows they will have little ten year old girls who listen to fallout boy. Great job less than jake. Im ashamed to share my name with you guys.

[Chris Fallon]

Your review is good, too.

I, too, love every LTJ album and they will forever remain a top 3 favorite for me.