British rockers The Struts’ fourth full length studio album Pretty Vicious is the band’s first album since their previous effort Strange Days, released in 2020. Unlike the previous album that was recorded in a mere 10 days due to the restrictions from the pandemic, the Struts were able to spend some quality time working on and recording this new album. The result is an album that highly showcases the maturity and talent of the band.
The album opens with “Too Good at Raising Hell,” which is also a single and video. It features a catchy opening riff from guitarist Adam Slack. The track is pure rock n’ roll in the tradition of the Rolling Stones with lyrics that celebrate the band’s enthusiastic escapades. “Sex so good, make the neighbors smoke a cigarette but I’m still bored to death.” This is followed by the title track with lead vocalist Luke Spiller delivering a diverse vocal performance. Spiller experiments with different vocal styles on this album to showcase his talents.
One of the album’s highlights is “Rockstar.” It’s a highly energetic track that will undoubtedly be featured in the band’s live set. It features a great performance by the rhythm section of bassist Jed Elliot and drummer Gethin Davies. This is followed by “Remember the Name,” another great rock tune with a catchy guitar riff. This band definitely has a knack for writing songs with a classic rock feel.
“Bad Decisions” is a slow-paced ballad that features a stunning vocal from Spiller. Once again, Spiller displays his range. The man can compose introspective lyrics with a lot of passion. There are also some great pop tunes like “Hands on Me” and “Better Love,” which show this band is not shy about featuring their pop side.
The album closes with an extreme surprise for this fan with a cover of “Somebody Someday” by Ian Hunter. Originally titled “Irene Wilde,” the band for some strange reason, changed the title of the song. Their version is flawless, and the band delivers one of their best performances on this track.
Pretty Vicious is definitely a much-needed album for the Struts as it features the band at full strength and fortunately, they had a good amount of time to work on this album. The production and writing are at their best. The Struts are touring America and, in my humble opinion, they are one of the best live acts I’ve seen in decades. With this album and tour, I can only hope that the Struts receive the extreme success and accolades they so rightfully deserve.
~ JoJo Anthony
