Of all the split hairs that modern rock has produced, the term “Emo” is one of the most troublesome, because all music should be expected to have emotion. This notion escapes Jason Cooper, the frontman for ex-Sacramento band “Welt,” whose new album “Brand New Dream” was released over the summer. On the album, Cooper scratches out unemotional lyrics about personal relationships and other half-baked thoughts. Looking over the titles for the 14 songs is like reading an instruction manual on how to be unoriginal. Imagine a cover band for “Social Distortion” that replaces all the poetry with drab lyrics.

The album is the fourth from the band, now based in Orange County. The band has shared the stage with groups such as “NOFX,” “Face to Face” and “MXPX,” and so have set themselves in the category of modern punk. The tricky guitar riffs from Todd Bean and Marc Harper are the only ambitious aspect that deserves recognition. Aside from this, nothing about “Brand New Dream” sounds new, or even real. Maybe they need to relocate back to Sacramento.