England has produced some of the biggest and greatest bands in the world. When you think of great English bands, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin all come to mind. Years after the debut of those three groups, The Struts came along with their glam and classic rock style. The band, originally from Derby, England, released Everybody Wants in 2014 and reached the No. 52 spot on the United Kingdom Album Charts. Two years and one North American tour later, the group re-released the record with new tracks being featured.
The quartet features singer Luke Spiller, bassist Jed Elliot, guitarist Adam Slack and drummer Gethin Davies. The band has opened up for some of the biggest names in rock like The Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, The Who, and Guns N’ Roses. Now, they’re selling out venues across the world and just started a summer United States tour back in May. The 13-song record has a total run time of 44 minutes. The classic rock and roll vibe mixed in with the slightest head nod of pop is the perfect combination that makes The Struts so unique.
The opening song on the record is “Roll Up.” The three-minute song is a perfect opening song for a record. For the first 30 seconds of the song, it slowly builds up into a fast-paced, in-your-face tune. After listening to the record a few times, the song has grown on me. I like how there’s a dramatic build-up to each chorus and the anticipation builds which makes the listener eager to continue to listen.
Track two, “Could Have Been Me,” was one of the first singles that was released. Since the release of this record, this song has been one of their most played songs, ever. It’s easy to see why this song has been played so much. It has an anthem feel which makes it enjoyable. Spiller’s voice is excellent. In each song, he can adapt his voice to the song’s feeling, articulate the words, and add heightened emotion. I like the use of the clapping sound that was consistent throughout the song, it’s an element that, when used correctly, adds a classic rock anthem vibe to it.
Track three, “Kiss This,” is one of my favorite songs on the record. The guitar riffs from Slack and Elliot’s bass lines on this song are some of their best. The chorus is so catchy that it will be stuck in listeners’ heads for the entire record. The three-minute song feels a lot shorter than it is. Towards the end of the song, when the entire band is singing the chorus together, their harmonies are unmatched. I love that the chorus is easy to sing along to. The last time I saw them, the band had the entire audience singing along and waving their hands.
Track four, “Put Your Money On Me,” is one of their best songs, ever. Like the previous songs, it has everything that fans could want. “Put Your Money On Me” has great harmonies which coincide with a catchy chorus. The lyrics are jumpy and keep the theme of the song light and airy. A consistent theme that can be found on most Struts songs is that they are all about having fun. The foot stomping feel from Davies on the drums adds another layer of needed sound. I love Slack’s guitar riff. It starts flashy and morphs into a melodic solo which makes fans break out into an air guitar solo.
Track six, “Dirty Sexy Money,” is mixed beautifully. Ray Hedges and Nigel Butler were the masterminds behind the production and mixing. I love that I can hear Elliot’s bass lines. It showcases him as a bass player and submits him as the anchor of the rhythm section of the group. Like with “Kiss This,” when I saw the band last summer, they opened with “Dirty Sexy Money” and it’s a perfect show opener. There is a piano that’s layered over Slack’s guitar solo which was a smart move. Usually, the guitar would drown out the piano, but not on this song.
Throughout the record, the band does a great job at adding all different types of sounds and trying new things. On track seven, “The Ol’ Switcheroo,” the band adds horns to the track to add a much-needed, different sound. Again, Slack steals the show with a quick solo before the breakdown and a slowed-down version of the chorus carries the song into the final 40 seconds before wrapping up.
Tracks eight and 11 show off the band’s pop side. While it’s not completely a pop song, it gives a slight head nod to the genre. Track eight, “She Makes Me Feel Like,” is a softer side of the band. With the guitars turned down ever so slightly, the chorus is something straight out of a movie trailer. You don’t think of this song as one that will get stuck in your head until you reach the end of the record and find yourself humming the tune. Track 11, “These Times Are Changing,” is like “Could Have Been Me,” it’s an anthem-style song. It’s slightly autobiographical as they mention seeing New York City and meeting The Rolling Stones. The one takeaway from this song is that the band is masters at making songs memorable, enjoyable and singalongable.
The last song on the record is “Where Did She Go.” This is an excellent song to close on. As the song wraps up, I find myself immediately either rewinding the song, restarting the album, or playing a different record of the band. There is an aura about them that demands full attention from the listener. It’s easy to see why they pack venues across the world and sell out wherever they go.
Everybody Wants is such a great debut record, there is something for everyone. Each song was able to bring out a different sound and emotion that showed the diversity of the band. From Spiller’s vocals to Slack’s guitar, this quartet just gets better and better with each record and their debut helped shoot them into rock and roll stardom.
Rating:
8.5/10
Tracklist:
1. Roll Up
2. Could Have Been Me
3. Kiss This
4. Put Your Money On Me
5. Mary Go Round
6. Dirty Sexy Money
7. The Ol’ Switcheroo
8. She Makes Me Feel Like
9. Young Stars
10. Black Swan
11. These Times Are Changing
12. Where Did She Go
The Struts Are:
Luke Spiller – Lead Vocals/Piano
Jed Elliot – Bass/Background Vocals
Adam Slack – Lead Guitar/Background Vocals
Gethin Davis – Drums/Background Vocals
Follow The Struts Online:
My love for live music started with my first concert ever, Guns N’ Roses back in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to capture photos of some amazing artists like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Ace Frehley, and Post Malone. I am based in New York/New Jersey and go to school in Connecticut majoring in Journalism and I am always looking for the next concert to attend.
