Reviewed by Paul Loader

Ruth are a classic example of that which America does extremely well - finely written, well produced guitar-based rock pop in the vein of Switchfoot and Relient K (no surprise then that Ruth completed a successful tour with both the aforementioned bands raising awareness for the Habitat For Humanity charity.) 'Anorak' is Ruth's second album and with just a nod of self-deprecation named after the British expression for the un-cool or nerd. They could just as easily have named it 'Train Spotter'. To quote the sleeve art work, "In Britain, the word anorak is a somewhat pejorative term for people whose interests are perceived to be nerdy, or who have more expertise in an arcane topic than seems rational to most." With the hand drawn art work of what appears to be Big Foot on the sleeve, there is definitely a feeling of student fan boy around the album. However, one listen to the CD tells you that Ruth write intelligent songs that are easily assessable and easy to listen to. Far from staying in that amateur arena 'Anorak' has been well produced and stands well alongside its contemporaries. Standout tracks are "Rolling With The Punches", all solid guitars and drums behind an almost sweet and gentle vocal; "Back To The Five" reminds me very much of the quieter side of bands like Sum 41 and A; "Hearts On Sleeves" remains in the same rock vein and "Miracle Photo" has a more stripped down feel to it with just a single acoustic guitar and vocal. If this album is anything to go by, Ruth will be around for a while yet.

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