For whatever reason, there’s been a lot of talk recently about the death of rock ‘n’ roll. It feels like every other month, another notable figure in the music industry goes on a diatribe about guitar music being dead, rappers becoming the new rock stars, and the disillusionment of still loving rock ‘n’ roll. Just this month, everyone was in a tizzy over one review that doubted the validity and legitimacy of the Michigan quartet Greta Van Fleet. They sound just like Led Zeppelin! But they’re contrived! And super talented! They’re corporate lab rats! They’re a bad version of The Darkness! They’re going to save rock ‘n’ roll! They’ve killed rock ‘n’ roll!
If we’re being honest, none of that matters. We don’t need Greta Van Fleet to save rock ‘n’ roll. We already have The Struts. And with their newest record Young And Dangerous – a follow up to the monumentally fully-realized Everybody Wants – they’ve proved that we’re all talking about the wrong thing. This is rock ‘n’ roll. Because, above all else, this is fun.
Starting out with lead single “Body Talks,” The Struts set the record’s tone straight away. Never ones to shy away from singing about attractive women and sexuality, lead singer and lyricist Luke Spiller (who we spoke with a few months ago!) sings, “Shake your hips, yo / Stomp your legs / You’re into this / You can try to hide it but you know you can’t deny it / Ooh, your body talks, your body talks.” It’s amazing because he’s not necessarily meaning to directly address the audience, but he inadvertently is. People can say what they will about The Struts ripping off Freddie Mercury, Mick Jagger, or The Darkness, but even naysayers have to admit they want to dance when they hear The Struts.
Second single “Primadonna Like Me” leans even harder into its own self-awareness as Spiller simultaneously mocks and embraces the moniker of Rock Star Frontman. The opening line, “Hey you, don’t you know who I think I am?” perfectly captures the persona of the self-involved artist thriving on excess. In the song’s music video, the band trounces around Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, led by Spiller, who unironically wears a white-and-black leather outfit with the words “21st Century Dandy” on the back. Girls literally claw at them as they walk through casinos and Alice Cooper even shows up at one point to throw knives in a backstage dressing room. Like the song itself, it’s all a bit over the top and enjoyable.
The recurring theme of enjoying excess and the rock star life continues with the decidedly refreshing “Tatler Magazine.” Almost a spiritual sequel to the band’s megahit “Could Have Been Me” off their debut record, “Tatler” envisions a future of magazine covers, riches, and dreams coming true. Spiller sings, “I wanna be in a Tatler magazine / It’s been my ambition and dream since I was about 17 / And one day my luck’s gonna change / When I’m featured double page / Living life rich, young and free.” The Struts aren’t a self-effacing, navel-gazing indie band – and that’s what makes them kind of great.
As for the tracks that will both satisfy old fans and reel in hoards of new ones? Well, there’s a lot. “In Love With a Camera” is The Struts take on Duran Duran’s “Girls on Film” but with a killer guitar solo. Spiller tops himself with unbelievable high notes in the chorus and some of the most infectious melodies the band has ever produced. It’s almost shocking to realize the track is only three and half minutes long when it has qualities of an epic or magnum opus. “Bulletproof Baby” features great guitar work from Adam Slack and even takes a page out of the Book of Pop with a chorus that sounds like it was created solely for mass singalongs. Bassist Jed Elliot receives his long-awaited moment in the spotlight with a super funky bassline on “Who Am I?” and drummer Gethin Davies busts out hip hop-esque beats on the sexy “I Do It So Well.”
The highlight of the record, however, comes towards the end and recalls the self-awareness of the opening tracks. “Freak Like You,” which will undeniably become a fan favorite at live shows and otherwise, not only taps into the affinity of the fan base but the band themselves. A song for “freaks” and written by “freaks,” this track is wry with stomp-clap verses, an unironic saxophone solo, Queen-like piano and guitar, and the best chorus on the whole album: “’Cause I’m a freak like you / Never change us, young and dangerous / Mother, it’s true / ‘Cause I’m a freak like you / Yeah, I’m a freak like you / We’re all just fucking pretty nasty, it’s cool.” What is there not to love about that?
It’s so bizarre to consider but The Struts really are “freaks” in their own industry. I’m struggling to recall another rock band so unapologetically ambitious, clear about their goals and desires, and unafraid to have fun. Sure, there are heartfelt ballads and toned-down, mid-tempo tracks on Young and Dangerous, but never once do The Struts even consider taking themselves too seriously. They have a classic rock sensibility about their approach, but aren’t afraid to take chances (did I mention that saxophone solo?). Their influences are certainly alive in Spiller’s vocals and Slack’s guitar work, but their melodies are fresh as hell and their song arrangements don’t sound like anyone else these days.
So, is rock ‘n’ roll dead? Can Luke Spiller save it, if it is? Who cares. The Struts aren’t interested in that. They just want to have fun.
Rating: 9/10
Highlights: “Freak Like You,” “In Love With a Camera,” “Bulletproof Baby”
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