The Struts' 'Pretty Vicious' - Album Review

As much as I have enjoyed the output from The Struts since I first saw them back in 2014, I think it is fair to say that they have also been something of a disappointment - or, perhaps more accurately, they never become the band which I hoped that they would. Seeing the band play to around 30 people in a Plymouth basement bar and have them treat it as if they were headlining Wembley Stadium set my expectations high and, in some ways, it was bound to be downhill from there. When Everybody Wants (which I reviewed here) dropped later in 2014 I played it quite a lot - but I remember part of me was disappointed that the songs as presented on the album lacked the raw power of their live counterparts. Looking back now at the CD's booklet (the original release, rather than the 2016 reissue which was clearly aimed at the American audience), it is perhaps easy to deduce why Everybody Wants was not as powerful as it could have been - and that is the sheer amount of people that were involved in it. Pop audiences are used to albums being put together by committee, with each song having multiple outside songwriters, producers, and instrumentalists - but this idea is generally anathema in the rock world. Aside from frontman Luke Spiller's snarling vocals and the riffing of guitarist Adam Slack, the rest of Everybody Wants was tweaked to within an inch of its life by an army of studio hands - which, in my opinion, cheapened it. I still enjoyed the songs, though, despite the production - but it would be four years before the band followed it up, during which time they essentially ignored their home country to relentlessly tour in America. They have relented on this somewhat more recently, but for a while their UK fanbase felt neglected and I started to loose interest. In truth, I am not sure that my interest has ever truly been regained - but I have kept up with the band's progress. 2018's YOUNG&DANGEROUS (which I reviewed here) felt a little stronger production-wise, probably thanks to bassist Jed Elliott and drummer Gethin Davies actually featuring throughout, but songwriting-wise it felt a bit weaker. The strong songs stood out, but it is not an album which I have revisited much of late due to some overly-poppy moments which, again, lacked the bite which I know the band can deliver. I have come to accept, though, that The Struts are a pop band with some rock influences rather than a genuine rock band - but 2020's Strange Days (which I reviewed here) certainly got my attention thanks to its rawer production and lack of outside interference. It was recorded during the pandemic, so perhaps this was by necessity rather than choice, but the album felt like a band finally doing things on their own terms. It was still poppy, but it felt organic and spontaneous - and I listened to it a lot, wishing that the best songs on the previous albums had been presented in such a manner. I had hoped that the band would learn from this experience, but their fourth album, Pretty Vicious, which was released last month, sees them somewhat returning to old habits. Choosing Julian Raymond, who has recently worked with Cheap Trick, to produce much of the album was not a bad decision - but yet again this album is packed with guest musicians and most of the songs here have been co-written by various anonymous pop songwriters - which is a shame to see.

There is some good stuff here, as always, but, considering the album is fairly short, I sometimes find my attention wandering. The album kicks off nicely, though, with Too Good at Raising Hell which, despite its indie rock overtones, is pretty hooky - with a brash chorus that recalls some of the band's best moments and a snaking intro guitar riff from Slack. The use of some Hammond organ throughout adds surprising depth, whilst a horn section is employed during the up-tempo chorus for dramatic effect - and Spiller's vocal hooks here feel anthemic and made for the stage. The song acted as the album's lead single, too, and it certainly drew me in. It could rock a little harder in places, and parts of the verses have that Streets-esque spoken word delivery which has never really done it for me - but the use of the organ, the powerful chorus, and Slack's strong guitar presence (including a bluesy closing solo) showcases what The Struts can do when they put their minds to it. The album is pretty front-loaded in my opinion, meaning that most of the best tracks here come early on. The title track follows and it is another pretty strong effort in my opinion - with a modern pop rock sound which also has a bit of a darker undertone. Elliott's bass drives the piece early on, whilst Slack's guitar adds chiming melodies, and Spiller adds some distant, sultry vocals over the top of this snaking set of melodies. It is not the most expansive piece here, but the production overall feels much more low-key - and the indie rock vibe actually works pretty well here. Subtle synths add depth throughout, but the groove of the rhythm section shines - and Slack's guitar playing feels a bit more cut loose as things progress, with another solo-esque section which builds on some of his melodies from earlier in the song. The chorus here exists in a couple of forms - with a more mellow version coming earlier in the song, before a more explosive harder rocking version hitting later. The song might not be as theatrical as The Struts can be, but I actually like the more paired back sound here - as it lacks some of the 'too many cooks' vibes I often get from them. I Won't Run is a track which has grown on me quite a bit since first hearing the album - and it harks back somewhat to the smoother end of the 1970s glam rock scene whilst also allowing the band to embrace their modern indie rock influences. The opening guitar tapestry feels expansive and the track overall is much more melodically-focused in my opinion. There is less of the band's trademark spike here, with Spiller embracing his love of Freddie Mercury during the verses for an emotional performance - whilst the chorus chimes with a Gaslight Anthem-esque beat thanks to some sparkling keyboard hooks against the aforementioned guitar tapestry. Another Slack guitar solo lifts the song further, too, and the song's anthemic, yet smooth, vibe is something which I would like to see the band embrace more often. I Won't Run has become one of my favourite cuts here, which is surprising given this sort of sound is not something I have ever wanted from the band.

Hands On Me, in contrast, opens slowly, with some clean guitar melodies which build up over time. Spiller soon sings over this guitar presence and the track actually feels pretty straight forward, which works in its favour in my opinion, but there is still a surprising grandeur. Hands On Me harks back to the relative simplicity of the band's previous album - albeit with a string arrangement adding some depth during later renditions of the chorus. The song does not feel all that over-produced, though, even with Slack's bombastic guitar solo section which certainly channels Queen - backed by the aforementioned strings. The way this song has been put together shows that having a bigger sound and sounding overproduced are not the same thing - and there remains a clarity here which other songs lack. Those wanting a bit more bite in the music will find plenty to enjoy in Do What You Want, a song which harks back to the spiky rock of the band's early days - albeit with a more organic sound, despite the presence of a horn section and some upbeat piano throughout. Slack's guitar riffing and the stomp of the rhythm section still drives the song, though, but the horn section adds melodic accents occasionally, particularly during the chorus, whilst the barroom piano helps to keep the piece ticking. Spiller also lets rip a bit more vocally here. In my opinion he does not go all-out enough, but this song sees him snarling a little more - with his chorus hooks in particular really jumping out of the speakers. The song seems made to be heard live and I sure that it will become a feature of the band's setlists going forward due to its energy and strong hard rock edge. Rockstar is somewhat similar, but it comes across as second best in my opinion. Despite all I said about the band and their overall approach during the opening paragraph of this review, I really like the first five songs here. For me, though, nothing else on this album matches those for quality - and Rockstar is the first piece which feels weaker. It has a decent energy throughout, which keeps it ticking, but the riffing does not feel all that memorable this time - and the chorus feels a bit suffocated by the production. This album is certainly not as over-produced as the first two - but it is more so than the last one, and this is a song which could have benefitted from a less-is-more approach in my opinion. It feels a little muddy, which is a shame, and it shows that the band have not quite yet learned when to pull it back. Remember the Name is better, and in fact opens with a great back-and-forth riff mixing Slack's guitar playing with some keyboard additions, but sadly the song never really lives up to its snappy opening. I quite like the strutting verses, which again utilise a horn section quite nicely, but the song is crying out for a huge chorus which never really comes. The chorus here falls flat for me and it feels like the band were trying to nail another big theatrical moment - but end up falling a bit short. Slack's guitar solo is fun, though, and one good thing about this album is his playing, tone, and prominence. He does some excellent stuff throughout the 11 songs here and his performances are always a positive, despite what my wider views are.

Bad Decisions is slower and opens with a sound which is hard to describe - so it is another here which could have benefitted with being less produced. Slack's guitar melodies early on are coated in effects and synths which make the song sound a bit messy - and, for me, it only starts to get it together when it drums kick in to provide some grounding. It is a shame, too, because I really like Spiller's vocal performance here. He really lets rip at times, despite the song's ballad tendencies, and he lets out a few very emotional roars here which are surprisingly primal. The song is not as hooky as it could be, though, and is let down by the overall production style which is too keyboard-heavy - turning something which could have been atmospheric and murky into something muddy and a bit confusing. Better Love is more upbeat and it is the song here which comes the closest to the opening suite in terms of quality. It might be a bit overly poppy at times, but the hooks are sharp throughout - and Slack's guitar riffing helps to add a strong rock edge, particularly as the chorus kicks in. The groove from the rhythm section is infectious, too, so there is a lot to like about the song - with the main chorus hook perhaps being one of the best individual moments on the album. I just wish that the song felt a bit more rocking overall. Again it feels a bit over-produced at times, but there is enough to like here to make it one of the album's better cuts - and it is a highlight of the album's latter half which is certainly weaker than what came before. Gimme Some Blood, despite its title, is a bit of a slow-burner. It does build towards a more mid-paced and rocking chorus - but it takes a bit of time to get there, building from a clean guitar base which Spiller sings absentmindedly over early on. The transition to the chorus works pretty well, though, and the song does feel pretty theatrical as its stomp kicks in. This is one moment here where the bigger production approach works in my opinion - and I quite like how much has been thrown at the chorus, with more horns bulking out the sound. Later verses feel a bit more involved, too, with some southern piano melodies acting as a counter to Slack's guitar lines - so, along with Better Love, Gimme Some Blood injects some quality and strong hooks into the album's closing moments. The album closes out proper with a re-titled cover of Ian Hunter's Irene Wilde, though, which is called Somebody Someday instead. I am not familiar with the original song, but I like this version for its relatively stripped back vibe. It is generally piano-driven, which allows Spiller to really shine vocally, whilst the occasional guitar lead adds depth. The production generally keeps out of the song's way this time, too, and this is how Bad Decisions should have sounded in my opinion. The instruments are not swamped in additional and unnecessary sounds - and the plaintive piece ends the album nicely - with the rhythm section joining in towards the end for some additional bombast. As can be deduced from reading this piece, I have some mixed opinions on Pretty Vicious. There are songs here that I really like, and there are others which do little for me - or feel suffocated by the various production choices made. This album does continue on some of the good work of the previous album but it does also lapse back into some old habits - and I really wish the band would find the confidence to stand on their own. I actually think Raymond was a good choice as a producer, but there was still a lot of outside involvement here which muddied the waters. This holds Pretty Vicious back for me and until the band loose the committee I will always struggle to truly love anything they do.

The album was released on 3rd November 2023 via Big Machine Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Too Good at Raising Hell.