ALBUM REVIEW: The Struts – YOUNG&DANGEROUS

By Jarrad Levy

Over four years after their bombastic high energy debut album, Everybody Wants, the Struts have released their sophomore album, YOUNG&DANGEROUS. The band has spent nearly five years growing their brand and fanbase, and accumulated a staggering amount of success for a group with only one album. So have the Struts won the lottery a second time with YOUNG&DANGEROUS?

Kind of. The album is really good, and some songs are fantastic, but the project is not consistent enough to warrant it being called phenomenal in the same way as Everybody Wants.

YOUNG&DANGEROUS opens with the album’s lead single and arguably the best song on the album, “Body Talks.” The song drips with confidence. Lead singer Luke Spiller is cool, calm, and collected by talking about how he knows how irresistible he is, as guitars scream and the bass pounds. This was the perfect song to be a prelude to the album’s release, as it encapsulates everything that the Struts are: a modern reimagining of classic rock. Despite the obvious use of synthesizers and autotune, the music behind Spiller’s lyrics is ripped straight out of an ‘80s rock song in the best way. “Body Talks” feels like it is meant to be played live with its fast tempo and easy-to-sing-along-with vocals. The song is simply rock ‘n’ roll.

The band follow “Body Talks” with another highlight from the album, “Primadona Like Me.” The opening to the songs feels more classic rock than anything in the band’s arsenal with cowbell and a retro guitar sound. In this song, Spiller really feeds into the comparisons made between him and legendary lead singer of Queen, Freddie Mercury. He emulates Mercury’s unique line delivery during the verses with the rolling R’s and spoken word. Like “Body Talks,” the song drips confidence and is the second fantastic song in a row.

The Struts keep up the streak of great songs with “In Love With a Camera,” about a girl who is too caught up in her own vanity to care about the narrator, in this case, Spiller. He hits soaring high notes throughout the song and it simply makes you want to dance around with its fun bassline and cyclical vocals. If there is any song on the album to sing at karaoke, it’s this one. It’s just so much fun.

After those first three amazing songs, the quality of the album takes a small dip. “Bulletproof Baby,” “Who am I?,” and “People” are not bad by no stretch of the imagination, but do not quite match up to the trio of songs that preceded them. Out of the three, “Who am I?” is definitely the best with interesting lyrics referencing various superheroes like Doctor Strange and having funky guitars that will definitely have you tapping your foot. The other two just feel like generic classic rock with no interesting lyrics or musical pizazz.

The Struts make up for the dip in quality with the album’s seventh and eighth songs, “Fire Part 1” and “Somebody New.” The former tells the story of young love, while “Somebody New” is a melancholy track about Spilling having feelings for someone, but being unable to open himself up after being hurt so many times before. “Fire Part 1” feels exactly like young love: exciting, passionate, and powerful. About halfway through the song there is a guitar solo that although admittedly is not nearly the most striking on the album, sends chills down your spine upon first listen nonetheless. “Somebody New” is a new sound for the band with acoustic guitar and slowly transitioning back into the rock ‘n’ roll that the Struts are associated with.

“Tatler Magazine” is another song that does not live up to the standard set by other songs on the album. Out of all the songs on YOUNG&DANGEROUS, it is the only one I feel inclined to skip when listening through the album. Simply, it’s boring and brings nothing to the table that other songs on the album bring in spades.

YOUNG&DANGEROUS quickly recovers from this misstep with “I Do It So Well.” Like “Who am I?,” the song makes you tap your foot and dance around. The only difference between the two is that “I Do It So Well” is simply better. Like on several other songs on the album, Spiller is bragging about how amazing he is. Although one may think this is a grating motif throughout the album, I find it refreshing as this type of flexing today is usually only seen in rap, but let’s not forget that it was a staple of in rock ‘n’ roll’s history.

Before the final highlight of the album, “Ashes Part 2,” the Struts introduce the listener to “Freak Like You.” The song is anthemic and is prime for arenas if the band ever becomes that big. The song is easy to sing along with and sticks with you long after finishing the album. However, the real gem of the final quarter of the album is the previously mentioned “Ashes Part 2.” The song begins with the melancholy tone found in “Somebody New” and discusses the memories of the relationship that was so passionate in “Fire Part 1.” The song quickly transitions to a bombastic tone reminiscent of Queen, complete with a deep piano, shredding guitar, and emotional lyric delivery. If “Body Talks” is the most energetic and fun song on the album, “Ashes Part 2” is the most impactful and its guitar solo will make you feel like you are in the cockpit of a race car. By all accounts, this should be the last song on the album.

My biggest problem with YOUNG&DANGEROUS is that it does not end with “Ashes Part 2,” but instead a remix of “Body Talks” featuring Kesha of all people. The track screams of studio pressure to have the Struts collaborate with the biggest pop artist that would willing to work with them. Sadly for them, Kesha’s voice does not mesh well with the lighter guitars of the remix and the studio was way too late in collaborating with Kesha who hasn’t been especially relevant in years. The only addition Kesha brings that feels like an improvement from the original is an ear piercing scream toward the end of the track that definitely fits with the aesthetic of the song.

Ultimately, the Struts did not hit a homerun with YOUNG&DANGEROUS. There are too many strikes to make the album fantastic. Since release, I have not listened to the album much in full, but have taken my favorites and dispersed them throughout several playlists that I regularly listen to. Although the record is not staggering in terms of overall quality, there are absolutely enough songs to warrant a listen and enough gems to keep in my playlists for a long time to come.