After the disappointing In With the Out Crowd, Less Than Jake promised fans that their next album would be something they would actually like. From the opening notes of "City of Gainesville its clear that Less Than Jake are attempting to make good on that promise. Not only does the bands horn section actually contribute throughout but theyre the first sound to come through the speakers before kicking into 14 songs that weave their way through the trials and tribulations of being young and directionless. One cant expect Less Than Jake to revert back to their sound from Pezcore or Losers, Kings and Things We Dont Understand. However, what they can do is harness both the urgency of those albums and the polished production theyve had as of late. The end result is an album mostly comprised of songs that wouldnt sound out of place on Hello Rockview or Borders & Boundaries. The opening track, "The State of Florida, "Abandon Ship and "Conviction Notice are all standout Less Than Jake songs, as exciting as anything else theyve written. Besides "Settling Son, which has a throwback metal riff that sounds out of place, and "Handshakes Meet Pokerface and its overproduction, the songs are likely to please any Less Than Jake fan, even if the album doesnt become anyones personal favourite. The band continue to write anthems that anyone who hasnt quite grown up all the way can identify with.
The most readily apparent aspect of GNV FLA is that the band have attempted to recapture the spirit some say you went without on your last album
. Drummer Vinnie Fiorello: Writing songs for GNV FLA, there were no external forces, it was the band in our warehouse, writing songs and being the band we are. On the last record, we tried to step outside the box of how we and everyone else see Less Than Jake. For GNV FLA, we wanted to make a record that had the urgency of earlier records but with tighter production.
Has self-releasing it been something youre glad to have done?
I personally think that self-releasing was needed to continue the health of the band. While the writing and recording without a label was easier, marketing and organising a release is a massive undertaking. Self-releasing has put the power and responsibility back in the bands hands. A modern version of DIY? Maybe.
Youve outlasted several trends. To what do you contribute your longevity?
I think never subscribing to being a part of the trend is a big part. Less Than Jake are Less Than Jake regardless of what genre of the month is popular. Weve seen a dozen genres come and go but through it all we are still here.
Do you continue to have any expectations of yourselves?
We always put expectations on ourselves. We always try to rise above what we expect, or anyone else expects, from us.
(Sleep It Off)The most readily apparent aspect of GNV FLA is that the band have attempted to recapture the spirit some say you went without on your last album
. Drummer Vinnie Fiorello: Writing songs for GNV FLA, there were no external forces, it was the band in our warehouse, writing songs and being the band we are. On the last record, we tried to step outside the box of how we and everyone else see Less Than Jake. For GNV FLA, we wanted to make a record that had the urgency of earlier records but with tighter production.
Has self-releasing it been something youre glad to have done?
I personally think that self-releasing was needed to continue the health of the band. While the writing and recording without a label was easier, marketing and organising a release is a massive undertaking. Self-releasing has put the power and responsibility back in the bands hands. A modern version of DIY? Maybe.
Youve outlasted several trends. To what do you contribute your longevity?
I think never subscribing to being a part of the trend is a big part. Less Than Jake are Less Than Jake regardless of what genre of the month is popular. Weve seen a dozen genres come and go but through it all we are still here.
Do you continue to have any expectations of yourselves?
We always put expectations on ourselves. We always try to rise above what we expect, or anyone else expects, from us.