Reasons why The Struts are just so goddamn good:
1. Lead Singer Luke Spiller is made of charisma. I love how Jeff Oloizia describes him as being the rock and roll version of “Dress for the job you want” in this interview in the Times from a few weeks ago. Wearing mostly women’s clothes, a lot of makeup and the attitude to pull it all off, Spiller brings to the stage a Glam Rock sense of rock royalty that earns all of the comparisons he is getting to Freddie Mercury or Mick Jagger. I don’t repeat those comparisons lightly here either; I saw it first-hand last November in their first visit to Toronto.
At this show he was sick. Grossly, phlegmy, hacking-cough sick. And he still owned the stage and the entire room. In the clip below Spiller wandered into the crowd, getting half the room to sit down on the bar floor with just a wave of his hand. He then led both halves of the room in a call and response battle that had every person in the room wanting to win, not for themselves, but for him.
2. The name. So rarely does a name just fit the band so perfectly that you cannot believe the band is as young as they are. How could they only have formed in 2010? How could these guys just be in their mid-20’s? Hasn’t there always been a band called The Struts? Haven’t they been, quite literally, strutting on stages for decades? And the font on their album cover… that’s just always been a thing, right?
When you can combine contemporary and timeless into your identity you’re bound for big things. Discovering The Struts’ excellently titled Have You Heard as I did last summer felt like stumbling on an old album in my dad’s basement that no-one I knew had heard before.
3. The music – it’s for real. I have never pretended (nor will ever claim) that this little site of mine is home to opinions that should ever sway the masses. I like what I like and I have a lot of very good, relevant, smart and influential musical pockets to explore as I grow this site. That being said I will just as easily write an essay on the decline, and subsequent resurrection, of the TV Sitcom theme.
So with that being said, reading reviews about The Struts like this one at Sonic Abuse by Andy Sweeny just plain annoys me. His analysis of the music may have merit as he seems very well-educated around the influences and songwriters involved (half the word count is name-dropping and reference-making which puts the emphasis more on the author’s “expertise” than a review of the actual album), but the whole tone just reeks of that elitist, self-proclaimed indie-guru nonsense that drives me bonkers. Not liking something because it has the potential for mass appeal is just so cool these days, isn’t it?
The music is for real and anyone who has seen The Struts live will attest to that. They are unlike any band I have seen and their potential is enormous. I feel lucky to have caught them in a club with 150 people as the next time they come around I feel like they could demand a much larger audience. Or, dare I dream, they fall in love with Toronto and echo The Stones circa 1977?
You’ve no doubt heard the lead single Could Have Been Me… it’s easy to sing along to with fun, clear vocal stylings by Spiller and an anthemic chorus that spreads the simple message of living life with no regrets.
I like a band that has fun in their videos, and that you can tell they are having fun in their videos. Put Your Money On Me is not only just another catchy tune on the album with some awesome harmonies and natural call and response built-in, but it’s also a fantastic one-take video full of all the fun randomness that should inspire themed costume parties for die-hard fans years from now. Add to that the strangely mesmerizing frame rate it was shot in and this actually takes the cake for my favourite Struts video currently.
Now, it would almost make too much sense to put Kiss This as the last focus video in this post… after all, it is currently being played constantly on the radio, but I’ve stuck it down in Further Listening because my true favourite Struts song is Where Did She Go and I want to give it a little love here.
At the show at Adelaide Hall, this was their closing number… Spiller had given his all… sweaty, coughing, fifth wardrobe change of the night… he even called up a fan to help him sing a song earlier in the night which was a bit of magic to watch… this nervous Japanese girl singing shyly until she found her comfort level and then virtually grabbed the microphone out of his hands…
It’s the end of a long show – much longer than the modest number of tracks the band has in their repertoire should dictate – and they strike up Where Did She Go as they introduce the band. It has an amazing call and response vibe to it and they just kept going with it, and we just kept singing it… no-one in that room wanted the show to end. That moment has time stamped this song for me and I will always associate it with being in my happy place, belting out a great tune with a rowdy bunch of concert-goers and everyone in the room just giving in and having fun.
There are lots and lots and lots of concert videos showcasing exactly this… in fact, discovering and watching each of those videos just now (along with a few others) almost takes away from the happyplace moment I felt, that moment that we were there, with them, in a small club in Toronto, and we were a part of something special. Almost. It’s such a rock solid way to end a show that I cannot fault them for repeating the audience instructions, the call and response, the quiet down and the amp back up. It was just perfect and the best shot example of just such a video is below.
The acoustic version of the song is excellent as well and just shows that you don’t need the glam, the lights and the make-up when you have great riffs, easy lyrics, a sense of fun and a willingness to both own the mic and share it.
And that’s the last reason why The Struts are so goddamn good. Make no mistake about it, they are the ones in charge during a show, but they are able to make you feel as though you – and that inner glam-rock superstar you didn’t even know you had – are right up there with them.
Further Reading
Still want to read more? This is a great interview with the band from Atwood Magazine (who also, incidentally, gave “Have You Heard” a perfect 10/10 while showcasing how to name drop a musical influence and reference in an album review without coming off sounding like a total douche).
Further Listening – More Tracks From The Struts
Kiss This – the follow-up single to Could Have Been Me and guaranteed to still be in your head in the morning if it’s the last song you listen to before going to sleep at night.
Rebel Rebel – quite possibly the perfect cover for Spiller to take on and again embracing the crowd, walking amongst them and making everyone feel just as much a part of the show as he is.