Middle Class Rut
Pick Your Head Up
Bright Antenna

A sophomore album is always a risky proposition.  It’s a balancing act; a band has to stay true to the “sound” they developed on their first offering, lest they alienate the fans tuning back in for more of what they know and love, but at the same time, they have to exhibit some musical growth, or else the music snobs and nitpickers (like me) will poo-poo it, as a lack of development exhibits the limits of the artists’ talent.  Striking this balance will often make or break a band.  A great sophomore offering, or even a passable one, can leapfrog a band to the next level of the industry.  A poor one, however, can relegate a band to flash-in-the-pan status, or, worse yet, lodge them in the annals of one-hit-wonder infamy.

Needless to say, then, there is a lot at stake for Middle Class Rut on Pick Your Head Up.  The explosion of 2010’s No Name No Color was huge, with the single “New Low” reaching unexpected heights, peaking at number six on the U.S. Alternative charts.  After such a strong opening volley, a follow-up would have to be very strong.

Fortunately, Pick Your Head Up delivers nicely on that initial promise.  The sound is definitely MC Rut, but there are additions and extensions that mark a definite upswing in musical style, most notably the occasional bass guitar part and a few sampled sound effects.  Zack Lopez again performs the lion’s share of the vocal work, with drummer Sean Stockham backing him up admirably and taking lead in a few instances.  The work on the album, especially for a self-produced two piece, is alarmingly good.  Years of self-production have done this duo well, and it maintains an integrity to the artists’ vision that is contributes notably to the cohesion of the album.  Although it would be interesting to hear a producer’s influence on a Middle Class Rut disc, their self-production is at the very least an impressive feat.

There are, of course, a few low-water marks.  “Police Man,” for example, is lyrically confusing enough to mar an otherwise musically interesting track.  All in all, though, the album comes out very, very well.  The Deluxe Edition is highly recommended, if only for the cover of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “I Need to Know.”  This cover will surprise you in the best possible way; the instrumentals are dissimilar from the original enough to disguise it initially, but the iconic lyrics jerk the listeners perspective into the right vein in a not-unpleasant way.  After that, it’s just a rockin’ good cover.

All things told, Pick Your Head Up is a worthy follow-up, and comes very well recommended in its entirety.  The album will please both MC Rut fans and newcomers.  Pick yours up and rock out- Dante Stone.