Less Than Jake - Borders & Boundaries
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Artist: Less Than JakeEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language)
CD Release Date: 2000-10-24
Music Label: Fat Wreck Chords
Soundtracks:
- Magnetic North
- Kehoe
- Suburban Myth
- Look What Happened
- Hell Looks A Lot Like L.A.
- Mr. Chevy Celebrity
- Gainesville Rock City
- Malt Liquor Tastes Better When You've Got Problems
- Bad Scene And A Basement Show
- Is This Thing On?
- Pete Jackson Is Getting Married
- 1989
- Last Hour Of The Last Day Of Work
- Bigger Picture
- Faction
Music reviews of Borders & Boundaries
Music Review: The Obligatory "Maturing as Artists" Album
Rating: 5 Stars
The problem with Borders & Boundaries may be that there are no memorable tracks capable of withstanding the test of time to become LTJ classics. At least that was my first impression. Whereas with Hello Rockview, many songs made me sit up, pay attention, and demand repeat playings. I found there were MASTERPIECES on Rockview (at least according to the my own limited worldview), but not on B&B. Not only that, but both the punk and ska elements have been diluted. Horns are employed in most of the 15 songs, but not prominently, and whatever the difference is between punk and regular rock, the gang crosses that line here into more...mainstream generica? That's too harsh. Some staples have lasted, such as the placement of harmonies, the slow build-up at the beginning of songs, the subtle shifting between wacky and thoughtful, those overlong titles...plus they have really refined their instrumentation as well as the vocals (check out Chris actually holding a note at times; not that he just learned how, but he's rarely bothered to flex his full singing skill before), which is often a symbol of artists having popularized their sound by making it more recognizable (resembling common styles) and therefore accessible to a larger audience. Being "sell outs", as idiotic, misinformed punk fans especially are eager to claim about any band that either improves their musicianship or starts making money. Lyrically, the ideas haven't changed since Hello Rockview (reflection, regret, ruminations on the passage of time, odes to old friends - in this case Mark Cruce and Pete Jackson, how to make it through the day, whispers of hope for the future), and that's where this album finds strength. You could argue that the structure of the songs are interchangeable, because more than any of their previous work (even Rockview, despite it having expressed some of its introspective navel-gazings with more unique-SOUNDING music than anything here), Borders & Boundaries is a pensive interpretation of life: its ups and downs and how we deal with them. "Magnetic North" suggests that for all the borders and boundaries we may face, there is always the possibility of turning things around for the better, that the bad times never last. "Kehoe" challenges the sanctity of tradition and conviction. "Suburban Myth" is a nostalgic look back on good times. "Look What Happened" is a sad take on stagnancy; when you're young you swear you'll move on and out into the world, yet in the meantime you keep circling the same old places and doing the same old things, refusing to follow through with your big plans for the future. "Hell Looks a Lot Like LA" is about second-guessing the risks you take in order to remain comfortably tucked into your old habits. Then "Gainesville Rock City" sheds the uncertainty and reminds us that moving beyond your point of origin doesn't mean that everything changes - a new world with new circumstances, but with your history and identity intact, you can still be the same guy. "Malt Liquor..." and "Bad Scene and a Basement Show" are both about losing control of and interest in your life. "Is This Thing On?" is about loneliness and not having any of the answers. "1989" is their take on how the '90s flew by, and how, for all their dreams and expectations, they feel starved for any sense of accomplishment or even change. "Last Hour..." wants you to make the most of your existence, shrug off the regrets, and realize that time can't go back on itself - we've only got one shot at living. We should aspire, not to defeat others as part of some rat race, but for the sake of personal fulfillment, of making the world a better place and oneself a better man. "Bigger Picture" is about taking responsibility for your problems and dealing with them, because life isn't as easy as a TV show, where you can laugh off the struggles and be sure that everything will return to normal in the end. And finally, "Faction" is not just about being yourself, following your own path, but being proud of that individuality and counting on it to lead you through whatever life has to offer.Those are all very dilettante translations of each track - I always wished I was a more perceptive and articulate analyst of ideas as conveyed through entertainment mediums - but they at least show the range and accentuation of basic philosophy going on here. There've been elements of deeper meaning in Less Than Jake music as far back as Pezcore, and they've obviously chosen to focus on this angle. In other words, instead of making just fun music, instead of just rocking out to their own loud noises (both acceptable and occasionally rewarding goals in their own rights), Less Than Jake are ambitiously seeking greatness. Like any true artist, they have beliefs, opinions, and attitudes that they want to submit to the consideration of society through a unique means of expression driven by taste, imagination, and creative ability (not to mention plain old skill to begin with). And that's a whole lot more than you could ask of most bands. I still say the musical aspects of Less Than Jake's artwork can improve - step 1 is fashioning a distinct style, now they've got to turn that style into something remarkable (for example, the lyrics to "Is This Thing On?" are well-done, but the music itself could've been better written in order to make it a great song). But really, that's a negligible demand at this high point in their career, since the music featured on this album, thought-provoking or not, has all kinds of powerful hooks, anthemic choruses, and fast 'n' catchy, if not bop-along (since it's all more serious than usual) rhythms. Y'know, all those typical descriptions of pleasurable songs
Less Than Jake at their most polished, on the cusp of veritable excellence. A toast to Borders & Boundaries
Description of Borders & Boundaries
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