The Struts - “Strange Days” Review
English rock band The Struts released their new album “Strange Days” on Friday.
Hailing from Derby, Derbyshire, the band has been active since 2012 and released their first full album, “Everybody Wants,” back in 2014. This was followed by “Young and Dangerous” in 2018 and finally “Strange Days” of this year.
Additionally, the band has released several EPs and singles in between. All of these pieces follow their vein of glam rock/metal and hard rock.
Inspired by the likes of Queen, The Rolling Stones, Def Leppard, Michael Jackson and even My Chemical Romance, singer Luke Spiller and The Struts shine in their ability to throw the listener back to the era of rock that was the ‘70s and ‘80s.
“Strange Days” is absolutely no exception to that rule.
The instruments used throughout the album are reminiscent of the period mentioned above. The usage of guitar, bass, drums and even some piano here and there all feel like a throwback that makes the listener feel like they are sitting at a ‘80s rock cafe with friends on a Friday.
Most of the album is upbeat and definitely something that gets feet moving in no time.
One of few contradictions to that is the title song itself. “Strange Days” is a slower piece and dives into just how strange times have become — not just because of the pandemic, but the progress of technology itself. The latter idea is most expressed by the line “science fiction, I believe has become reality,” which in many ways is true.
Overall, the composition of the album is amazing. All the songs fit well together but are different enough to distinguish one from another. It all captures that glorious ‘70s and ‘80s rock period with The Struts own personal style.
Spiller’s vocals also add a whole level to the music. His way of singing is yet another reminder of the ‘70s and ‘80s feel this album and their discography in general tries to capture.
Ranging from smooth vocals and bits of expressed roughness to hike up the song another notch, Spiller really captures that feeling of glam/hard rock. He absolutely fits into that niche of musical history without question.
Compared to past works, the album is definitely recognizable as a Struts album. The band implements a lot of fun side things into some of the songs on this album, which appears to be in increasing trend based on their discography.
The song “I Hate How Much I Want You” features Def Leppard’s Phil Collen and Joe Elliot with the intro to the song being a phone call between Elliot and Spiller about collaborating for the song. Bits like this adds a whole new level of fun to the songs.
Ultimately, this album, and band for that matter, are super fun and thrilling to listen to. Strange Days” offers quick-paced thrills that the listener can get up and dance around to and a healthy dosage of slower songs that carry their listener through heavy meaning.
The Struts should continue capturing the feeling of ‘70s and ‘80s era of rock in the future, hopefully continuing to feature other esteemed artists as well.
Reviewer’s Favorite Song: “I Hate How Much I Want You”
Reviewer’s Least Favorite Song: “Cool”
Rating: 8/10
Colton Pleslusky is a junior majoring in telecommunications. To contact him email csp5289@psu.edu.
