Tag: the struts

This is The Struts’ third release, it came out on vinyl as part of RSD 2021. A product of COVID, and what was meant to only be a an EP turned into a full album thanks to the extra downtime.

The opening track is quite a laid back affair in a very britpop kind of way, you even get Robbie Williams as a guest, the song sees the band reflecting on very strange times. All Dressed Up is very reminiscent of The Stones with that very simple riff and added dose of 70’s glam thrown in. Next up you get a cover of Do You Love Me by Kiss, a very sleazy glam sounding version and the drum groove at the intro reminds me of Bags by PIL. I Hate You How Much I Want You is pure 70’s glam with a very TRex vibe, and you get Joe Elliot on bv’s. Wild Child follows and has a guest appearance from Tom Morello. The riff is something straight off of Rage and again with that big 70’s vibe, it gets my vote as favourite track.

Cool opens up Side 2 with a huge Stones style riff and groove. Burn It Down could be by the Faces, it’s that close. A nice homage! It’s country rock time next with Another Hit Of Showmanship, well at least at the intro anyway, then the song gears into a really cool pop song. Can’t Sleep steals the beat and groove from early 60’s soul and R’n’B, and couples it with a killer glam sound. The album closes out with Am I Talkin’ To The Champagne, another cool R’n’B groove and bass line that builds into a superb groovy pop track.

I think we are due another album from Derby’s finest, as a I read somewhere they were in the studio.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

This is the second album from this four piece from Derby, England. They play the finest pop rock since the 70’s, and they do remind me of the days where every band was doing this glam pop schtick. Every song is a pop rock masterpiece with big hooks and melodies, and the all important sing-a-long chorus, which when played live, is one big party.

Nothing groundbreaking or new here, no political message to pound your brain into depression, just good old rock n roll played for fun. My favourite tracks are the opener, Body Talks, which is a great up-tempo groove rocker, and the remix of the same song with Kesha on vocals. There are a couple of surprises like Who Am I, which has the groove and rhythm of Do You Think I’m Sexy by Rod Stewart, and I Do It So Well, which has a Brit pop vibe to it. Overall a great record.

9/10 from The Grooveman.