Less Than Jake
American Idle 7”
Fat Wreck Chords
Released just in time for the latest run of their never-ending tour, American Idle is a limited edition 7” whose title track is taken from 2013’s See the Light – the ska punk bands’s 8th full length album. Lyrically it’s a bittersweet nostalgic song about growing up and getting out of a small town. Musically it’s a throwback to early Less Than Jake, chocked full of skankable beats and gloriously boisterous horns. The b-side is an unheard extra track from the See the Light sessions called “Late Night Petroleum.” It’s a mellower track (What would you call a ska ballad? A _ska_llad?), but carries on with the theme of growing up and moving forward while still reflecting on the past. As a band Less Than Jake have matured, but the music has remained as accessible and fun as it’s been since the early 90’s when they began playing tiny clubs around Florida on the weekends.