Almost everything here is standard Less Than Jake, with some exceptions such as "The Science of Selling Yourself Short" and "The Brightest Bulb..." which are a bit different than the standard fare. "Short Fuse Burning" is some awesome stuff, as well as the cover of Cheap Trick's "Surrender." I only recently got the CD, so it's hard to really give a good review, but I must say it's been the only thing I've been listening to since I got it. There are some who say there is less "Ska" here, which I don't really agree with. There's probably a similar ratio of ska to punk here as on "Pezcore." Less Than Jake are always punk/ska, and trust me, you get that vibe here. And you can't say they took the horns out to be more mainstream: the single "She's Gonna Break Soon" has prominent horns, showing that LTJ aren't changing their style.

All in all, it's an excellent CD. Why not 5 stars? Well, it's not mind-blowing, but certainly a hell of a lot of fun.

Still at the top of their game
I've been a fan of Less Than Jake for over a year now. I have all 5 of their major studio albums (I specify the albums because LTJ has hundreds of released recordings). I was never really a fan of ska/punk until I listned to this band. They have the ability to take such seemingly trivial songs and providing them with relevance to an inane and insane world. Anthem is simply another rung in the ladder of their career. It doesn't break any new ground (except for "The Science of Selling Yourself Short" which has a reggae sound to it), but the album neither takes a step backward. Perhaps a bit more emphasis could have been placed on the horn section, but otherwise the album is top quality. The lyrics should speak to anyone who has ever felt alienated, lost, or just worn out by the mundane existence of everyday life. My personal favorite song on the CD is "The Brightest Bulb has Burned Out/Screws Fall out." The track is actually 2 songs that transition into each other. The former is a beautifully written song with just an unplugged guitar, and without missing a beat, the song blends into the next. The lyrics and music make a perfect transition. To sum everything up, though not the greatest album of theirs (check out Losing Streak or Hello Rockview) this album still kicks buttocks and hasn't left the CD player in my car since I bought it.

Less Than Jake
"Welcome To The New South" 3/5
"Ghosts Of You And Me" 3/5
"Look What Happened" 5/5
"The Science Of Selling Yourself Short" 5/5
"Short Fuse Burning" 4/5
"Motown Never Sounded So Good" 3/5
"The Upwards War And Downturned Cycle" 3/5
"Escape From The A-Bomb House" 3/5
"Best Wishes To Your Black Lungs" 3/5
"She's Gonna Break Soon" 4/5
"That's Why They Call It A Union" 3/5
"Plastic Cup Politics" 4/5
"The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out/Screws Fall Out" 4/5
"Surrender" 5/5

On their latest album, Less Than Jake have turned away their punk ear to their pop ear, with mixed results. Though the album is not bad, it's not amazing either. Some standouts include "Look What Happened" "The Science Of Selling Yourself Short" and the awesome Cheap Trick cover "Surrender."

Overall rating: Three and a half stars.
For those Less Than Jake fans that were hoping to keep this band the best kept secret in the strange genre today known as rock, well, you have another thing coming.

With "Anthem", Chris, Roger, and the rest of the gang display the powerful rifts and harmonious lyrics that make the band great. My favorite tracks are "The Science of Selling Yourself Short", "Short Fuse Burning", and the second effort of "Look What Happened".

Being a LTJ fan for more than 6 years now, I'd have to rate this as their most complete album, and yes, even more complete than "Losing Streak". Although many purists might be upset with the band trying to find their niche in the mainstream, one must not forget that music is a business and the overall objective of any band, including Less Than Jake, is to reach their fans and get their music out there. By signing with Sire the band has taken a major step forward in terms of record distribution and exposure. I've seen the band on five occasions and the last time spoke with Roger about the music business. Although he was weary about the true LTJ fans throwing the term "sell out" around, he and the rest of the band were immensely happy with "Anthem", and rightfully so. As fans we should enjoy Less Than Jake's lastest effort and let the band worry about the business end. After all, their message is still the same as it ever was.

In closing, I'd recommend "Anthem" to any Less Than Jake fan. The band has really pushed this album as their best effort yet and hopefully, with a little luck and Sire representing them, LTJ will finally get the coverage and respect they so truly deserve.

Anthem
this cd was a very good cd, and i know i can turn to it when i need to be happy. now let me say i dont think at all the LTJ has sold out. they just have a strong lack of ska now. it still has ska, but not as much. they dont have as much of what they had from losing streak. to be honest, i thought this was better than hello rockview. if you want high energy punk with a twist of ska, pick this up, and you will be hooked. if you want something a lot better, pick up losing streak or anything before that. have a fun kids, and keep skankin!!!
The firecrackers on the sleeve give a good idea of what to expect on this Florida ska-punk group's third major-label album after a brief sojourn back in the indie world. Horns, chugging guitars, and crashing rhythms mesh to create a high-energy racket that refuses to subside until the band has rolled out its raucous closing cover version of Cheap Trick's "Surrender." The label turbulence does little to affect its angular wit, as focus returns to the heady party vibes of the group's hugely successful major label debut, Losing Streak: pogo-driven "Best Wishes to Your Black Lungs" and "That's Why They Call It a Union" are standard-issue Less Than Jake. As with the band's other releases, the music inspires clear feelings of love and hate. --Aidin Vaziri
Florida's Less Than Jake flies the banner of the New Punk South with its Sire debut album Anthem. The CD is enhanced with the video for 'She's Gonna Break Soon' & more plus the bonus track 'Surrender'. 2003.