We Are The Union shouldn’t be pigeonholed, and for good reason. But casual listeners and those looking for an easy way out may be quick to label this band a lot of things they are it is not.

In light of the recent surge in the pop-punk/hard-core genre, We Are the Union will inevitably face a lot of Set Your Goals and Four Year Strong comparisons. And because the band features horn sections and plays fast, there’s sure to be some Less Than Jake and MU330 comparisons. But the thing is, it’s useless to try and classify WATU on Great Leaps Forward, its second full-length album, because there is simply so much going on musically.

First of all, WATU plays fast. Blisteringly fast. So fast that it sounds as if the instruments are going to come and slap unprepared listeners in the face. And again, just because the band employs horns, don’t think this means its music is ska-fast. Instead, think A Wilhelm Scream or Rehasher — melodic punk at its finest.

Although there is a noticeable ska influence, it’s not so much in the cheesy upstrokes variety — think more along the lines of Borders & Boundaries-era Less Than Jake. And yes, there’s some screaming, but it’s more of an Al Barr growl than a Set Your Goals scream.

Yet, even with all these influences, Great Leaps Forward makes for a great listen. It’s as if WATU has been taking notes on its favorite bands, and now that it’s finally on a proper label and has the resources to make the record it wants, it did.

The only real criticism from a fan’s point of view has to be the decision to re-record all three songs from The Gun Show Must Go On EP. Those songs on this album have all been re-worked to some extent, most notably “Five Out of Five Kids Who Kill Love Slayer,” where some parts of the chorus have been intensified with vocalist/trombonist Matt Belanger’s growl instead of vocalist/guitarist Reed Wolcott’s smoother vocals heard on the aforementioned EP.

But with cleaner production and smoother technical transitions, the songs on Great Leaps Forward sound much better than before, especially “We Don’t Care If Yesterday Burns, Stoke Up the Fire.” The added ska background of the initial verse works tremendously well, and the production value on the chorus just makes the song more enjoyable.  Punk purists may miss the rawness of the originals, but everyone else should revel in this.

It seems impossible to pick out a best track, as all the songs stand out in one way or another. “Strange, Slow and Old” should quickly become a new fan favorite. With its strangely catchy chorus of “In New York on a Saturday/ No one’s working on their dream,” the band hits its rhythm at all the right times and the end result is great.

“One Million Motors,” on the other hand, finds the band at its musical high point.  The song is a terrifically blazing three minutes of melodic-punk, and while everyone is just tearing up the track, it’s hard not to single out drummer Jim Margle as the standout member. He drops a great fill in the opening seconds, and the breakneck speed that he keeps up throughout the song is top-notch.

Again, every song on the album could be combed over in detail, with every spot of great work applauded individually, but that would get us nowhere. What absolutely needs to be emphasized is what an amazing, genre-bending record the boys from Detroit have put out.

It’s everything a punk rock fan could want, with the speed of the best Lifetime Records and tempo shifts that would fit right in any New Jersey punk circle. Yet, like the best melodic punk songs, the band writes great hooks that will keeps fans singing along with songs such as “Glaring Teeth.” But there are also enough hard-core elements to keep the fans of Kid Dynamite listening as well.

Then, of course, there are the horn parts and the occasional ska riffs. While no comparisons will be made to The Slackers any time soon, fans of Voodoo Glow Skulls may love this record.

And there’s the point. It’s easy to try and pick out elements of Great Leaps Forward and then compare the group to other bands, but what’s the use in that? Just pick up this record, give it a few spins and then recommend it to friends — anyone with a vague interest in fast rock music needs to give this a listen.

klucas@umdbk.com

RATING: 5 stars out of 5