quad Five-O fail to satisfy one of the founding tenets of punk—they don’t evoke emotion. As long as punk has been around, the genre has benefited from a free pass when it comes to musicianship in exchange for its ability to evoke a visceral emotional experience in the listener. Traditionally, punk acts have frightened politicians (Sex Pistols), threatened a society’s moral fabric (Buzzcocks) and promoted rebellion (The Clash). Therefore, we don’t always ask much from it in the way of technical innovation. So what are we supposed to do when a band like Squad Five-O drops a yawner of a “punk” record?

Critique it.

Jeff Fortson’s vocals are average even for a punk singer. No amount of sneers and growls can change the fact that he does not inspire any but the most superficial reaction in listeners. Even on a track as seemingly charged as “Bye America”, where Fortson asks the rhetorical question “My faith is lost from the burning cross / ... / Why should God bless America?”, this listener, at least, feels nothing. In the world of punk, this is blasphemy, right?

Sure, we can cherry pick a few noteworthy moments. “Secret Society” features a backing vocal part that sounds pleasantly like the handiwork of A3’s Larry Love and opener “Always Talkin', Never on the Run” emits the sparks of beefy guitar riffs. But neither track is adventurous or incendiary. They simply are. “2 Grand and a Lot of Hassle” boasts a muted roar of a bassline and an anthemic chorus (“I am yours / And you are mine / Bastards in their eyes / Guilty before trial” etc.), but the tone is far too lax. Typical of the album as a whole, “2 Grand” lacks any sense of urgency even as it purports to convey outrage. Memo to Squad Five-O: Just saying the words isn’t enough. You have to believe in them (at least as much as you believe in your hair-stylist).

To their credit (possibly), the instrumentation on Late News Breaking is better than that of most punk acts, but again, it seems like the members of Squad Five-O are giving the quality of their sound too much attention and the sentiment behind their songs too little. Forget hi-fi. Spill your spleen, boys.

Other notables include “No Heroes”, on which Fortson seems to be attempting to appropriate Jesse Malin’s warbling, vulnerable vocal style (but where Malin sweats woe, Fortson sounds stiff and toneless) and “Keep Me Up at Night”, whose repetitive guitar licks and recorded-in-a-closet bass part, reminds of The Strokes’ Is This It?

Unfortunately, most of the tracks on Late News Breaking are too telegraphed to intrigue. The obligatory guitar solos, drum spurts, and easy choruses are obvious long before they actually show up, and they are neither original nor evocative enough to amend for their tardiness. Considering some of the stunning releases of 2004, listening to Squad Five-O feels more like a chore than a delight. Late News Breaking may look and sound like punk, but our arses remain unkicked.