On "Born Too Late," the opening track to Middle Class Rut's sophomore full-length Pick Up Your Head, singer Zack Lopez laments "I think maybe I was born just a little late," and with a sound that blends the monolithic drumming and slinky blues of Led Zeppelin with the overdriven aesthetic of bands like Ministry, it's a sentiment that makes a lot of sense. Middle Class Rut are a band with a reverence for the sounds, honoring their forefathers without outright stealing from them. Because of this, Pick Up Your Head is an album that might inspire nostalgia in the listener without them even knowing quite why, merely suggesting musical touchstones without standing up and pointing them out. Compared to their debut, this album is an altogether darker and grittier outing, but it manages to achieve this without losing sight of the raucous rock & roll spirit that lives at the band's core. Although fans of the duo's previous effort might need to adjust to the new tone, once they get settled into this newer, more driven sound, they won't want to turn back. ~ Gregory Heaney