An underwhelming follow-up that hints at greatness

Putting out two projects in one year is risky. Not only does spreading too thin become possible, but it opens comparisons due to tighter proximity. Earlier this year, Michael Rudolph Cummings took a break from worshipping Alice Chains with stoner rock band Backwoods Payback to prostrate before the godfather of grunge, Neil Young. The result was an E.P., M.R.C., that excelled with skin-peeling raw intimacy stemming from every note of throaty vocal and acoustic squeak. It set a high bar that the full follow-up album, You Know How I Get, cannot reach. While going for a fuller sound with more layers and range is admirable, the repetition grows harder to ignore with an inconsistent atmosphere and vocal choices.  

After the exceptional vocal performances on M.R.C., it’s disappointing to see a series of strange performances compounded by odd positioning within the mix. “Sunburn” has a half-decent lead melody with a sharp twang. Yet, Cummings’ vocal track is placed rather deep in the music, like a bedroom pop recording. “Got It Made” has the most pep in its musical step. Hence, it makes no sense for Cummings to deliver his most nocturnal performance like he’s singing a lullaby. He pushes himself into this histrionic belting on “Closer Than They Appear,” that the music in no way supports, and yet sticks with the sleepy singing even with the dramatic drums on “62 Westbound.” It’s admirable to go for variety after he stuck to husky brooding, but the results are all over the place. 

After M.R.C. was composed of almost entirely rough acoustics and Cumming’s vocals, it is refreshing to hear a greater variety of sounds. There are lovely harmonies on “Closer than they Appear” and the end of “Goblin,” and the piano and pedal steel of “Burning Harbors” ends the record on an excellent psychedelic note. Nothing sounds poor and the performances are fine, but Cummings’ misplaced vocal approaches create an incohesive atmosphere. Whenever the album tries to be softer, like on the track “Cellar Times,” it suffers from a one-note vocal performance that does not have the smoothness for a warmer mood. When it tries to replicate the rawness of its predecessor on “Charles Doesn’t Lie,” it’s impossible to ignore that the guitars and vocals do not have the same immediate impact. 

The shadow hanging over this is that few songs have any arc or evolution. It was easier to excuse the lack of development on M.R.C. because it was an E.P., and the mood was engrossing enough to ignore it. When You Know How I Get tries to be more melodic and diverse, the lack of dynamic compositions has nothing to obfuscate. The lead lick on the title track features tense interplay that sadly gets repeated ad nauseum. The livelier drums and guitars of “Got It Made” are wasted with nothing changing or evolving. The undercooked song structures are even less excusable in the presence of “Goblin,” which is the longest yet most compelling song on the record. Cummings’ vocals change from burnt-out to anguished screams at moments that make sense with the flow of the music. There’s a rising intensity to the layers of distortion on the guitars that nicely segues into a haunted outro of soothing harmonies and ever-present feedback hanging over everything. 

“Goblin” transitions the strengths of M.R.C. into a more extended, more ambitious package, and it could’ve spring-boarded Cummings to a strong follow-up. Sadly, it’s the exception on an otherwise underwhelming album. Toning down the rawness would have been fine if there was any suitable replacement.