Beat Union

Disconnected

[2.5/5]

What if the Jam wanted to be Fall Out Boy instead of the Who? What if Elvis Costello and the Clash cut their teeth playing Warped Tour instead of pubs? These are questions answered by Disconnected, the debut from Birmingham, England’s Beat Union. Noted producer John Feldmann (Atreyu, the Used) applies a heavy coat of emo-pop gloss to jaunty tunes indebted to the aforementioned British music legends. (In other words, Disconnected is a super-slick collection of reggae-tinged rock, punk jags, mod-pop and ska; think the English Beat or Maxeen.) These homages are often overwhelming, if not blatant: Expressive vocalist/guitarist Dave Warsop is a dead ringer for the English Beat’s Dave Wakeling–or Sting, or Costello or Paul Weller, depending on the song. But despite his energy, Disconnected feels generic and forgettable–and more in line with disposable Top 40, not Anglophile bait or fodder for nostalgic punks. (SCIENCE) Annie Zaleski