Category: The Struts

The Struts Strange Days review – Strange days indeed ! So, what did you in lockdown if you were fortunate enough to be left with extra time on your hands- gardening ? reading ? putting you cd s in alphabetical order? British rock band The Struts went into a studio and knocked out an album in ten days!

The result is Strange Days, their third album following on from Everybody Wants and Young and Dangerous. Strange Days was basically recorded in ten days – essentially a live album with no audience with lots of songs completed in one “take”. I am sure there was a bit of tinkering here and there but, even so, quite an achievement in the days of polished sound, over dubs and multitracking.

I have to declare an interest here. I was asked to write this because I have been following the band for quite a while so will admit to being maybe slightly biased. I have met them a few times and have watched them working so hard to break the UK market in particular. I will try to be as balanced as possible but I think this album may well achieve that.

This album is brilliant ! It will take a very long time for it to be part of my life and live music memories like the other two are, but it is already proving to be a strong contender. I think there is something for everyone here.

The are barnstorming rock songs such as All Dressed Up (With Nowhere to Go), I Hate How Much I Want You ( with Joe Elliott and Phill Collen from Def Leppard), Cool, Can’t Sleep and Do You Love Me ( a cover of the Kiss song from their album Destroyer.)

These are typical of what you get from these boys- kick ass riffs and songs that I am already imagining live . Then there is Burn it down. A kind of Stones like rock ballad that shows of Luke spiller’s vocals brilliantly.

The last song on the album is an amazing mix of tone and style that has to be listened to multiple times to really feel its full range and impact. Am I Talking To The Champagne ( or talking to you) starts sounding like George Michael at his best and builds into a fantastic bluesy guitar/ saxophone duel – different but it really works- I was not a fan of this when I first heard it but it has really grown on me.

Another Hit Of Showmanship is, in my opinion a perfect indie pop song with obvious Strokes influences ( Albert Hammond Jr is performing on the track).The writing and performances here are stunning and it is one of the songs that makes it so impressive that these were essentially recorded live- to get it to sound this good is staggering.

I have saved the best until second last. Wild Child is the highlight for me. It is a huge 70s / Hendrix inspired rock song with one of the greatest guitarists of all time – and Tom Morello is pretty good as well!​ Joking aside, to get someone of the stature and reputation of Tom Morello to perform with you is quite a feat and this song just blows me away.

So now we come to my little gripes. I would give this album 9/10. Two halves would be knocked off of the perfect score of 10. I know not everyone will agree but here goes. The phone chat at the beginning of I Hate How Much I Want You was a bit annoying the first time I heard it and gets more annoying every time.

I would also move the title track to the end of the album. Its is a great song but is more of a Robbie Williams song than a struts song. It resonates with the times very well and is a really good song but I am not sure it sets the tone of the album. It maybe should be in the same position as the Kesha collaboration of Body Talks was on Young and Dangerous.

Overall, this album could end up being their best yet. Adam Slack’s guitar is incredible and Jed and Geth ( bass and drums) are heard so clearly here as a result of the “ live “ sound – it is a pleasure to listen to.

Luke Spiller has lived up to his vocal reputation here with ease and I cannot wait to hear what the guys do with some of these songs live. These boys are also one of the best live acts I have ever seen – I would rank them up with Kiss, Queen , The Darkness, Van Halen as must see live bands.

Strange Days is a triumph over lockdown adversity – I know music is not the most important thing to everyone, but if you are on this website and are reading this, then it probably is to you! Writing this has really made me smile and realise how lucky were are to have bands like these So go and buy the album ( check out their cover of Stop by the Spice Girls as well ) and wait for the live gigs to roll around again!

The Struts Strange Days review by James Griffiths

The Struts Strange Days review – The Struts at Rock band T-Shirts 2020

Its been a very busy couple of weeks for The Struts with some major announcements. First we had the new single “Another Hit of showmanship” a collaboration with Albert Hammond Jr from the strokes.

Yesterday we had the first Radio 2 UK air play for The Struts, during which they announced another single, this time a collaborations with Robbie William.

The track “Strange days” will be performed live on ITV in the UK at this years Soccer Aid in Manchester on Sunday.

We now we come to today when you can now pre-order the new album, due to be released on the 16th of October. Also titled Strange days, the album has some amazing collaborations.

In addition to the ones mentioned above we also have a track with Def Leppard’s Phil Collen & Joe Elliott “I Hate How Much I Want You”.

Track 5 “Wild Child” is a collaboration with Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine)

Strange Days The Struts new album

Here is the full track listing, you can pre order now below.
01. Strange Days (feat. Robbie Williams)
02. All Dressed Up (With Nowhere to Go)
03. Do You Love Me
04. I Hate How Much I Want You (feat. Phil Collen & Joe Elliott of Def Leppard)
05. Wild Child (feat. Tom Morello)
06. Cool
07. Burn It down
08. Another Hit of Showmanship (feat. Albert Hammond Jr.)
09. Can’t Sleep
10. Am I Talking to the Champagne (or Talking to You)

Rock band T-Shirts 2020

The Struts are one of the greatest band to come out of the UK for years but most people have never heard of them, until today. They have been solidly touring America for years now, building a large fan base.

They have played live on the New Year’s eve TV celebration all across America. They have played Live on Good morning America from New York’s Central Park.

They supported The Rolling Stones before they even had a contract. They have since gone on to support the likes of Motley Crew and The Foo Fighters.

Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl said they were the best band to ever open for Foo Fighters.

He presented Struts guitarist Adam Slack with the first ever Gibson Dave Grohl Signature DG-335 2014 Pelham Blue guitar.

They have just returned to the UK after spending the year living in LA and recently playing a series of Live-In Drive In Shows in Philadelphia.

Why they have had radio play in the US this is the first time they have had national radio play on this scale. The Steve Wright in the afternoon show on BBC Radio 2 attracts 8.1 Million listeners and is one of the biggest in the UK. 

On the show they announced their new Single “Strange Days” a collaboration with Robbie Williams.

Luke said “The song itself was pretty much a year in the making. We went into lock down as a band on the 24th of April in a residential studio, and started to work on what we thought was going to be two or three songs, and then it ended up being an entire album, so that was absolutely crazy but the lyric came it to me from talking just to people.

The word strange days and science fiction becoming reality was like this mantra that I just kept hearing. One thing I wanted to do was just capture this moment in time”.

Luke went on to thank Robbie and Radio 2 for playing the song.

The Struts and Robbie will perform the new track live at Soccer aid Sunday the 6th. You can watch it live on ITV in the UK.

You can hear the track here.