Naomi Sanders
- Oct 25, 2018
- 2 min read

‘YOUNG&DANGEROUS’ - The Struts / Turned Up Louder

Updated: Jan 13, 2020

The nostalgia buzz does not seem to be dying down anytime soon. Fashion, film, TV, and yes, even music, have found inspiration in the those that came before them, and have found a lot of success in doing so. The now-dubbed “rock renaissance” has been in full swing over the last year or so, kicking off with Michigan band, Greta Van Fleet. Now, it’s UK band The Struts’ turn to bring their classic rock twist out there with their second album, YOUNG&DANGEROUS. In an interview with Kerrang! Magazine, vocalist Luke Spiller said that the album “takes the listener through twists and turns that are a little bit more unexpected. And I think we’ve done that”. So, is this a true statement to claim?

A lot of publications have made the comparisons between this band, and Queen. Only in one song is that warranted, and that’s “Tatler Magazine”, which is still a fun and silly romp through music, and one to sing along to. All the other tracks in the album sound like The Struts; they’re not trying to be a carbon copy of another band, they’re trying to be themselves, and they are selling that well. In songs like “Primadonna Like Me”, “Bulletproof Baby”, and “Freak Like You”, there’s a lot of flamboyant energy showcased through all aspects of the music, especially in the vocals. Even in songs like “In Love With A Camera” and “Tatler Magazine”, there are examples of Spiller’s fantastic range and vocal acrobatics within his lines of music, which are always fantastic to listen to. There are many guitar solos, and each track gives it the right room and space for the guitarist Adam Slack to improvise and jam out anything to his heart’s desire, and they are fantastic! It’s great to see that guitar solos are coming back in favour, and The Struts are leading their return with many great examples. In addition to all these, the lyrics match the fun nature of the music, but also within the more soulful tracks, like in “Somebody New” and “Ashes (Part 2)”, where the band expresses their heartfelt side, and demonstrates that their talent not only lies in their musicianship, but also in their lyric style.

Overall, this is another fantastic album that exhibits that the rock genre is alive and kicking, and this album is a great example of that. The Struts are another great band that showcase their talents for not only taking influence from those who laid the groundwork of classic rock, but have showed that they can develop the style further and make it their own. The rock renaissance is in full swing, and if The Struts and Greta Van Fleet are leading the parade, you best bet that following along would be a wise move to do! Because it is fun!

YOUNG&DANGEROUS is out 26th October! The Struts are on tour in the UK in February - grab your tickets at their website!

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