The Struts – Young & Dangerous Review

The Struts have been compared to The Rolling Stones, Queen, Def Leppard, and The Darkness, however, as far as I am concerned, The Struts are very much doing their...

Released By: Interscope Records

Release Date: 26 October 2018

Genre: Rock

Links: https://thestruts.com/

 

Line Up:

Luke Spiller
Adam Slack
Jed Elliott
Gethin Davies

 

Tracklist:

1. Body Talks
2. Primadonna Like Me
3. In Love With A Camera
4. Bulletproof Baby
5. Who Am I?
6. People
7. Fire (Part 1)
8. Somebody New
9. Tatler Magazine
10. I Do It So Well
11. Freak Like You
12. Ashes (Part 2)
13. Body Talks (Featuring Kesha)

 

Young and Dangerous, the second album by Rock band The Struts is the best I have heard in the last 5 years! There I said it. To hear an album for the first time and instantly enjoy every song is a rarity and then to have it on repeat for a week and still not be apathetic towards the music is even more astonishing. Buy it, download it or borrow it. Just get it and give it your full attention!

Usually, I start reviews with a brief history of the band and then go into more detail regarding each individual track before summing up and giving a final rating. However, this album has completely reinvigorated my belief in the idea Rock music has a massive future and bands like The Struts are hugely relevant and will be keeping the fires burning for many years to come.

I first became aware of the band through word of mouth concerning their live performances and, in particular, the swagger and on stage bravado of lead singer Luke Spiller and since I reside in the same area of the UK of his birth I was particularly interested. Therefore I listened to the first album ‘Everybody Wants’ and immediately heard references and sounds reminiscent of early Queen, Aerosmith, and even The Darkness. Fast forward 4 years and finally a follow up has arrived.

The album is book ended by the track ‘Body Talks’. Starting with a laugh, this is a song which sets the stall out perfectly to the feel and emotion the album conveys with its instant “stuck in the head” tune and singalong lyrics. ‘Primadonna was recently released as a promotional single, the track and accompanying video portrays the energy and humor within the band and maybe shows they don’t outwardly take themselves too seriously. ‘In Love With A Camera’ maintains the continual pace of the album and sees Luke trying out his best Justin Hawkins (The Darkness) impression hitting some very high notes and showing what a great versatile singer he is. ‘Bulletproof Baby’ is another song released as a sampler for the album and is a response to some who may have criticized the band. The song itself will certainly become a live favorite and has a superb chant chorus reminiscent of Queen in their 70’s heyday. ‘Who Am I?’, ‘People’ and ‘Fire’ (Part 1) show this is not just a group with a lead singer and 3 other guys. Adam, Jed, and Gethin are musically adept at their relative instruments with the guitar work and the tightness of the rhythm section on show throughout the whole album.

Things slow down for the customary ballad ‘Somebody New’ although this is not a simple love song and shows a lyrical maturity and a great tune (although I swear I have heard it before. Deja Vu maybe?). I especially enjoy songs when a band takes a risk and breaks the mold by going completely left field. ‘Tatler Magazine’ is a funny and head bobbing song and with a guitar solo in the middle to match. ‘I Do It So Well’ and ‘Freak Like You’ continue the flow and take us to the last song ‘Ashes'(Part 2). A beautiful power ballad which is another song from the album becoming instantly memorable with a very cool outro. The album concludes with a different version of album opener ‘Body Talks’ featuring singer Kesha.

The Struts have been compared to The Rolling Stones, Queen, Def Leppard, and The Darkness, however, as far as I am concerned, The Struts are very much doing their own thing and are incomparable to anyone. Young and Dangerous is a superb album and a definite future classic. I look forward to catching them on tour in the UK early next year and I will be front row center!

 

Written by: Simon Kneller

Ratings: 10/10

 

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