Less Than Jake

Less Than Jake - National Anthem

Now let's get this out of the way--I listened to Losing Streak by Less Than Jake from start to finish EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. for 18 months straight when I was in high school. This band has shaped me in more ways than I probably know, not only in how I view music and the music industry, but in how I write my own songs.

So, Less Than Jake released Hello Rockview after Losing Streak and I probably listened to HR almost as much. These two albums are easily in the top five 3rd wave CDs ever made filled with classic LTJ whoa-whoas until you become sick, huge blasting trombones and of course huge guitars and production quality . LTJ released some real crap since then. I mean, there have been a few decent songs that would have qualified filled in nicely on their previous albums, but overall, they've lost it.

Recently they put out B is for B-Sides which is a collection of songs recorded for Anthem. This collection is ended by one of the best songs LTJ has ever written.

Maybe I can finally relate to LTJ again, in particular this song. I mean, most of their songs deal with the usual teenage alienation, i-hate-jocks, let's go cruise around the city, or let's drink some beers kind of lyrics that really strike chords with youth and the working class. "National Anthem" takes these themes and internalizes them. I guess the closest thing it is like is "Al's War" (their best song ever) off of Hello Rockview.

Vinnie keeps his textbook boring as shit yet still tight drum part going throughout the whole song. The horns kick in to accent at just the right moments (except who mixed the sax so damn high over the t-bone?!) and at the end it all comes together with the trademark whoa-whoas.

"My American dream is to have it a little better than my parents ever had it. A little bit better than just a force of habit."