The Struts come back with their second album, ‘Young & Dangerous’, and they are showing that rock is alive and well and can be one helluva a good time.  Their retro rock sound is both refreshing and feels entirely new.  Where Greta Van Fleet is getting picked on for sounding too much like Led Zeppelin, the Struts seem to be celebrated for sounding like bands from the past.  They sound like Queen, Aerosmith, Mott the Hoople and they crossover genres like Glam, Classic Rock and 80’s Pop and the Hair Bands.  They are the best parts all rolled up into one.

The band consists of Adam Slack on guitar, Jed Elliott on bass and Gethin Davis on drums and let me tell you they rip it up throughout this album.  Their ability to play around with genres and sounds is so convincing and outstanding.  But let’s admit it, it is lead singer Luke Spiller who truly shines with this band.  His cocky, confident and flamboyant singing and style just screams frontman.  Think Freddy Mercury and Steven Tyler and you have some idea of what I am talking about.

From the opening track “Body Talks” and the over-the-top, glam-filled “Primadonna Like Me” and you see that they can play and that your are in for a fun-filled, rocking good time.  The energy level is up to 10 and I can imagine that their live show takes it up to 11.

The band loves their 80’s pop with the catchy as hell “In Love With a Camera”.  You will be up singing and dancing for sure.  And then back to the rock they go with “Bulletproof Baby” and great Anthem for the arena’s they will be playing.  Not to be out done is the “strutting” pop rock laced “Who Am I?” that continues the variety of styles on this album.  Nothing is the same, but yet it all fits so nicely together.

They can get serious as well and prove that they are not one-trick ponies. Songs like “People”, “Fire (Part 1)” and “Ashes (Part 2) show a different side that is more refined and that they have the ability to write great songs not just catchy little pop tunes.

Now we can’t have a retro sounding album without any 80’s power ballads and The Struts serve one up with the superb “Somebody New”.  It is pure magic.  But then they go into full-on Queen mode with the over-the-top, flamboyant “Tatler Magazine”.  It is pure joyous, hilarious, fantastical (yes that is a word…well it is now) rock & roll bliss.  Probably my favorite track as it reminds so much of the fun songs Queen would do like “Fat-Bottomed Girls” or “Bicycle”.

To finish out the album, they have the rocking “I Do It So Well”.  Again the band is changing it up.  Luke’s vocal delivery is straight-up rock and this song explodes during the chorus and Adam slams out a nice solo.  The band continues the rock angst with “Freak Like You” with it’s empowering message.  The album ends with another rendition of “Body Talk”, but this one is a duet with Kesha.  It isn’t as good as the opening track, but Kesha does hold her own against Luke and considering she has been around a lot longer they have, that is no surprise.

There is no sophomore slump here.  No track would be deleted so the Track score is easily a 13 out of 13 for 100%.  As far as the overall album, it is bombastic, fun, eclectic and shows that rock is alive and well and be a fucking blast so it scores a 4.5 out 5.0 Stars.  I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would and would be happy to have this in my collection.  If you are looking for a little fun your music, than look no further and throw this on.  You won’t be disappointed.