Caught in the Carousel

Middle Class Rut

No Name No Color
Bright Antenna

Middle Class Rut

Ike and Tina, Bill and Hillary, Starsky and Hutch. It's amazing what just two people can accomplish together. Middle Class Rut is just two people, drummer Sean Stackham and guitarist/singer Zack Lopez and together they create a sound that is raw, spontaneous and complex. Their latest release, No Name No Color, recorded over a four year period (interrupted briefly by a tour with Social Distortion), is a collection of both new work as well as some tracks from the bands' three previous EPs.

Opening with the anthemic, "Busy Bein' Born," Middle Class Rut sets the stage for an album that exemplifies the idea of less is more. No Name No Color is at once raw and rich, full of depth and yet in a way almost primal. A big part of this is due to Lopez' Farrell-esque wail, on display in full force on "Sad To Know" a track that also allows Stackham to demonstrate his fierce drumming skills. Another standout track, "New Low" transitions the album from the aggressive rock of its opening half into a more melodic closing, without losing any of its bite.

Middle Class Rut record almost immediately after writing their songs in order to capture the energy of that moment of creation. This is what gives the album its unpolished feel. For most of No Name No Color the idea of two musicians recording "in the moment" works brilliantly, however, there are a few times where the music might have benefited from some extra time and/or bodies in the studio. Most of the latter half of the album feels a bit bare, almost to the point of being unfinished. The final track "12 Cornbred" while catchy, is a prime example of this. It just needs...something.

Middle Class Rut (or MC Rut as they are sometimes called) have put together an album that is, for the most part, remarkable. It echoes the sounds of bands like Jane's Addiction, Alice in Chains and even the Beastie Boys; yet it's truly unique. They've created a sound all their own with rhythmic guitar loops and powerful drumming brought together by Lopez's vocal dominance.

And all with just two people.

—Pamela Obenchain