SOME INFO...
Less Than Jake - famed the world over for providing us ska fans with a steady diet of horn fuelled punk rock craziness, and damn good at it they are!
"Losing Streak" was their first album for a major label (Capitol) which must have been a great experience for them, as their love for metal is well documented, and they got to release a limited edition split 7" single with Megadeth!
From the listener's point of view, for many this would be the first time they'd heard of LTJ, mainly thanks to the videos they filmed for "Automatic" and "Dopeman."
The line-up for this album was...
ROGER - Bass & Vocals
JESSICA - Alto Sax
BUDDY "GOLDFINGER" - Trombone
CHRIS - Vocals & Guitar
VINNIE - Drums & Pez
DERRON - Bari & Tenor Sax
THE ALBUM...
Many people view this as THE ska-album, a classic within the genre, and a benchmark for other ska punk bands to live up to. I wholeheartedly agree with all of this!
The production is rather raw and unpolished, but in a very good way (i.e. not so bad that it sounds like tramps banging on cardboard boxes AKA St. Anger style), which makes the songs sound great, almost as though you're listening to a very good quality live recording.
The guitar has a great tone, the bass is audible but not overbearing, and especially in the ska parts, the two compliment each other very well. When things go all heavy, the guitar has a hell of a crunch going on, which is always good! The drums sound solid if a little simplistic (but then again, the drummer does write most of the lyrics, so we'll let him off), and the horns are at the perfect volume in the mix, without dissappearing into the background (a mistake that LTJ on "Anthem" in my opinion). Chris and Rogers vocals are on top form as usual, especially when they team up for gang vocals or vocal harmonies.
THE SONGS...
NB: I'm only gonna cover my personal favourites, since I know how many people hate track-by-tracks, and I can't be arsed with 16 individual track reviews!
AUTOMATIC - Kicking off the album with a random voice sample, and a fuzzy guitar intro, "Automatic" morphs into a bouncy little ska number with a distorted, horn-fuelled chorus, and nice interchanging of vocals.
9TH AT PINE - The gentle clean guitar and horn intro gives way to a distorted punky verse, and then back to the ska again for the chorus, which features a crazy bassline. They cover all bases by finishing the song with a distorted repetition of the chorus featuring some nice vocal harmonies.
SUGAR IN YOUR GAS TANK - One of the catchiest songs on the album, theres a lot going on here, shifting between the ska and the punk, with some soaring vocal lines (and more vocal harmonies), and lots of tempo changes.
SHINDO - The subdued intro blasts into the call-and-response vocals of the verse. Theres very little upstroke ska-guitar in "Shindo;" it's more reminiscent of the horn-punk LTJ have veered towards on their two most recent albums.
JOHNNY QUEST THINKS WE'RE SELLOUTS - A big "***-you" reaction to the hate that the band received from local scenesters when they moved to Capitol, this songs begins with a jazzy little ska section featuring a brilliantly catchy bassline, before building up speed and breaking into a frantic, ranting verse, and then into the anthemic chorus. Features a cool little bass solo too. Again, great tunes throughout.
HOW'S MY DRIVING DOUG HASTINGS? - The first song to feature full-on gang vocals, and a great little story about a drunken friday night. The chorus, with just drums, ska-guitar, and the aforementioned gang vocals is quite effective.
JUST LIKE FRANK - A punky, fast-paced little number, with Roger's vocals dominating (a good thing, as he's the better of the two vocalists IMO), and a hell of a lot of good basswork.
DOPEMAN - This song is just great! The lyrics are about a drug dealer with a drum intro, some great melodies, and a bit of a jazzy feel to it. The odd gang-shout does wonders, as does the constant horn melodies, and bass solo. The song veers between slow and fast ska, without going into punk territory, and is all the more effective for it.
ROCK-N-ROLL PIZZERIA - Another fast-paced punky number, with Chris singing frantically fast in some places, and better drumming than most of the album. Incredibly catchy and upbeat, just a generally fun song to listen to.
LOCKDOWN - A great horn intro into a downbeat-ish song about urbanisation, something many of us can relate to in this age of urban expansion (there's nothing I hate more than seeing one of the few remaining grassy areas in town being built upon, or a housing estate spoiling the countryside). Not a song I would have used as a closing track, but good nonetheless.
THE VERDICT...
Despite some songs being slightly worse than others (the ones I didn't mention above), the album as a whole is brilliant, and at 35minutes, it doesn't outstay its welcome. The lyrics concern friends, funny experiences, and life in general, and are well written and work well with the music. If you like ska, punk, or any of their subgenres, then (a) you should have heard of these guys by now! And (b) you will love this album.
I recommend buying the double disc-set that also contains the follow-up "Hello Rockview" which is equally as good as "Losing Streak," as you get two absolute classics for around 12quid.
RATING -----> 4.5/5
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