Once again a day late and a dollar short on the music reviews. Every month it’s the same thing, work getting in the way of play. The last few months I’ve been on a clip of working in between 20-25% overtime to just keep my head above water. I wouldn’t say I’m not moving forward, it’s more along the lines of a pot hole or being stuck in a temporary rut. In honor of this temporary impediment to my creative outbursts, I’ll be reviewing a band and an album which harkens back to this very dilemma mentioned above.

Given my sorry state of affairs, it doesn’t seem any more appropriate to review the latest album from the band Middle Class Rut. Yup, pretty descriptive account of my current mental state. Interestingly enough, the band’s music is consistent in emotion and feel for what you would expect from a group of this name. They’re on brand.

“No Name No Color” was released in October of 2010 so it’s not exactly a new album. But it is one that has been slowly growing on me over the last few months. Middle Class Rut is a two-piece alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. Two-piece bands are a strange breed as they need to rely heavily on programmed tracks being they lack numerous musicians. Sometimes this makes for a horribly unmatched yet distinct cornucopia of electronic sounds. And sometimes it’s a perfect blend of cohesive electronic saturation accompanied by live instrumentation.

“No Name No Color” is really their first full-length release despite releasing EPs since 2006. That being said, the lack of material for a comprehensive release could lead to a catastrophic failure due to an incongruence of suitable material. Rather it becomes a hodge-podge of shit. No so here. “No Name No Color” works well from start to finish and is cohesive. There’s also an underlying lyrical theme throughout the album, the struggles of middle class life. The monotony of suburbia and a general struggle to make ends meet seem to be ongoing reference points. No surprise given their name. It is rhythmic and repetitive guitar loops are back by bombastic drums with a sneering voice over the top.

There are three distinctive songs which paint the picture of the album:

Busy Bein’ Born - Vivid lyrically, this track swirls around the challenge of feeling oppressed and controlled by the system. The plodding drum beat and baseline feel like they're marching the listener to the submissive theme of the song. Until the end when the crunchy guitar solo and the lead singer screams about taking back his life. You can feel the shackles being broken.

New Low - I feel like I should be splitting rocks or working on a chain gang while listening to this track. The music feels like I am on the side of the road shoveling dirt. If Cool Hand Luke was alive now, this would be his them song. The theme; every day is worse than the last and you reach a new low.

Dead End - This is by far my favorite song on the album. Punchy drums march you along on the obviousness of the lyrics describing being trapped. You wake up and don't realize how you got here. Now how do you get out. I can imagine this song playing on repeat as I bust down a dirty desert highway in a Plymouth Duster with the windows down as I do some soul searching.

Is this one of my favorite records? Far from it. At times I think it falls victim to itself and the underlying theme of being trapped in middle class challenges. The music is a little repetitive and ‘hooky.’ Which is not necessarily bad as just about everyone in popular music creates a catchy hook first then builds a song around it. Overall, I like the album in safe doses. Like when I’m feeling trapped in my own existence and in a middle class rut. With songs titled "One Debt Away" and "Lifelong Dayshift" capture the theme in its entirety. The band and their product are appropriate.

But you can say this about all music. There’s a time and a place for it. And that’s what makes it unique and special to you. It’s when you hear it and identify with the feelings that have a lasting impression on you. This album ranks up there in memorable moments with many of my favorites just does not represent one of my favorites. The themes I identified with when I first heard it. That meant something to me. And because of that, I would recommend a download of the album for your own listening pleasure. You may not ‘feel’ the same way as me and therefore it may not connect. But at the very least, Middle Class Rut is a talented group and quite entertaining.

This is a test music player because Playlist.com sucks big balls.