sufferinsukatash

RUT are a four piece band from Santa Rosa, California who play hardcore in the tradition of Bikini Kill. The four tracks that make up the album (only one of which is over two minutes) largely address the lead singers frustrations with sexual power, herself, internal conflicts, life, and sexual partners (good and bad) and are shouted in short, pulsating rhythmic bursts.

Despite the obvious influence of early hardcore, there is a noticeable attempt, on nearly every level, at creating a product that surpasses the quality of many of those early recordings, in terms of musicianship, production quality, song structure, and lyrical innovation. Though short, the songs are elegantly structured with dynamics that surpass hardcore conventions and find traces of influence in 70s rock and metal (Black Sabbath-esque chord changes and riffs are common musical ideas), noise ala Sonic Youth (controlled, noisy feedback permeates throughout), and guitar solos that are especially reminiscent of Gregg Ginn's (particularly those found on Black Flag's Damaged album) though often sounding much more intentional in performance and whose actual notes are more legible, whereas Ginn's were often so chaotic as to be indecipherable. Despite the relatively slick production, the music is skillfully crafted so as to maintain the emotional extravagance that is conventional to hardcore and relevant to the intentions of the project.

The lyrics are also ingenious and inspired. The song PROVOKED uses personification to describe the effects of her desires on her (something physically provoking her). CONTROL has similar concerns, but includes the concept of sin alongside them:


Also very compelling, and is something which gives the record a considerable intelligence, is the ambiguous way she discusses these internal struggles. It's unclear as to whether she is demanding to be allowed control over her desires for herself (and not have them in the hands of some other authority) or if she in fact wants to control the desires and is somewhat pleading (possibly even demanding) for forgiveness and assistance.

The album art is beautifully designed, meant to perfectly represent the overall tone and attitude of the record. The image of the young girl in somewhat conservative attire kicking, shouting, and behaving otherwise chaotically is magnificently designed. It suggests momentary frustration in an otherwise collected person (giving me the impression that the album was intended as a cathartic escape for everyday people and not necessarily seasoned members of some already established subculture--sort of an attempt at crossover appeal). This makes the album seem inviting, which is fitting because the album is not confrontational. Rage is never simply or unproblematically directed at anyone. It is meant to potentially relate to anyone.

Although, one could argue that this makes the album socially conservative at heart, given that all this emotional outburst is being done by a little girl (thus perpetuating the stereotype of the feminine as unpredictable and irrational) and that real injustices are not clearly defined (making it politically weak). But, in rebuttal, there are other forms of sexism that would rather little girls were seen and not heard and this little girl is certainly being heard.



Rating: 5/5 for overall quality, replayability, genre innovation and contribution, production quality, and musicality.


The alum is currently available for free on Bandcamp but lets be generous and give what we can as a token of appreciation. Thanks.