REVIEW: Less Than Jake - Uncharted

Heroes of the ska-punk scene for over 30 years, Less Than Jake are back in action on their

new EP 'Uncharted'. The Floridian five-piece - frontman/guitarist Chris DeMakes, bassist/vocalist Roger Lima, trombonist Buddy Schaub, saxophonist Peter 'JR' Wasilewski, and drummer Matt Yonker - paved the way for ska to be a more recognised and followed genre and now have added seven new tracks to their already sizeable discography. Since 1992, Less Than Jake have built and kept a loyal fanbase from all over the world. 'Uncharted' is the band’s long awaited and highly anticipated first release since 'Silver Linings' was released in 2020.

‘Broken Words’ starts the EP off with a pure pop-punk guitar riff, straight from the early 2000’s for the first few seconds, before the Less Than Jake magic happens and the iconic brass instrumentals kick in, along with DeMakes' vocals, creating that upbeat melody and skanking fun which we all know, love and have definitely missed. ‘Walking Pipebomb’ follows in its wake, where we hear DeMakes and Lima’s line by line call-and-response vocals in the first verse, followed by their harmonies in the chorus.

‘Not My Problem’ then portrays DeMakes' essence of storytelling within his songwriting perfectly before heading into the next track, ‘Brand New Day’ which, rhythmic ska chorus aside, has an early Blink-182 feel to it in what is a pleasant shift from the norm. The next track is ‘Sunny Side’ which comes preloaded with catchy vocals and hooks such as “I keep my sunny side up and dirty side down”, which you could well imagine being chanted by the bands numerous fans, singing along on tour. The song ends on a drum beat which is almost made to clap along to in time, just as the song breaks down.

Nearing the end of the release comes ‘Dead Days (Over and Over)’, which is exactly the track you would come to expect from the band, with the frequent and fundamental use of brass instruments. The final track, ‘Shake Loose The Truth’, finishes the album with a very positive message. The lyrics, again, reflect the bands story telling abilities but in a more memorable and relatable song, all about dealing with bad times by “surrendering to the ride and enduring the rough times”. DeMakes tells fans over an upbeat guitar riff “I promise you’re not alone” in what ends up being the most sentimental moment of the EP, finishing off the release with a heartfelt, feelgood piece of music.

'Uncharted' sounds exactly how you want and expect a Less Than Jake EP to sound; high levels of energy and lots of brass, placing it perfectly in the niche which they have created for themselves. It's a sunny piece of old school ska punk done exactly how it should be, with a welcome dose of positivity.

'Uncharted' will be released on November 15th via Pure Noise Records.

Words: Amy Watson

Photos: Less Than Jake