There's something about the name Middle Class Rut that says 'pure punk' to me. Perhaps it's the antagonism implicit in the class division, or the suggestion that the middle classes are treading a tedious furrow while the working class heroes are kicking against such bourgeois conformity. Or perhaps it's because it calls to mind The Ruts, one of my all-time favourite bands of the punk era. Maybe it's a combination of all of these elements in varying proportions, all at once. The spray-painted template design cover positively bawls anti-authoritarianism.
Whatever, 'All Walks of Life' doesn't confound my expectations, or disappoint in any way whatsoever. Spiky chugging guitars, a thumping rhythm section and sneering vocals that venture into the realms of all-out screaming place this firmly in the category of garage punk, and its lack of pretence - it's all about rockin' power here - is genuinely exciting.
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How the hell two guys can create such a monster racket I'll never know, but then with the right approach, three chords and a bucketful of disaffection can go a long way. Probably the best two finger salute to the establishment I've heard all year.
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