Free

Apparently ignoring the golden rule that all punk-pop/emo bands must sing with an American twang whether they hail from New Jersey or Newcastle, Kerrang! favorites Twin Atlantic are perhaps the genre's only act to sing in a Scottish accent so strong it makes Billy Connolly sound like an upper-class RP-speaking toff. Unfortunately, lead singer Sam McTrusty's authentic Highlands tones are the only remarkable aspect of the quartet's second album, Free, which by resolutely adhering to the brooding verse/super-sized chorus of the angst-rock formula, fails to differentiate itself from the plethora of similar outfits they've recently opened for. Fellow Scots Biffy Clyro may be the most obvious comparison, but although there is a potential X-Factor winner's single-in-waiting (the cello-led acoustic ballad "Crash Land"), the follow-up to mini-album Vivarium has more in common with their transatlantic touring buddies such as My Chemical Romance (the shouty lead single "Edit Me"), Taking Back Sunday (the angular post-hardcore of "The Ghost of Eddie"), and Angels and Airwaves (the anthemic call-to-arms of the title track). Whether it's the influence of producer Gil Norton (the Pixies, Foo Fighters) or the arena rock bands they've been supporting, Free is an entirely different beast from its predecessor, which contrarily appears to rally against the over-earnest and contrived tendencies of their faux-American counterparts. It's only when they go against the grain, as on the slow-burning instrumental "Serious Underground Dance Vibes," the bluesy, '70s-influenced "Dreamember," and the aforementioned "Crash Land," that the band recaptures some of their early unaffected potential. You can't blame Twin Atlantic for wanting a piece of the globe-conquering emo pop pie, but even though they possess a unique vocal weapon, Free is just too derivative to have the impact the band appear to shoot for. ~ Jon O'Brien