The Struts - EVERYBODY WANTS |

Personnel: Luke Spiller (vocals); Adam Slack (guitar); Gethin Davies (drums).
Recording information: Chateau Relaxeau, Malibu, CA; JRox Studios; Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA.
Photographers: Greg Waterman; Brian Ziff.
Originally released in 2014, the debut long player from the Derbyshire-based rockers is an unapologetic blast of earworm-heavy, modern rock/punk-pop in a neo-glam wrapper, and as cocksure as it is calculated. Imagine a Slade-crazed, real life version of Russell Brand's Infant Sorrow (the band from Get Him to the Greek) fronted by a man who delivers each and every "R" with a brazen alveolar trill in a voice that's an amalgam of Freddie Mercury, Dee Snider, Noddy Holder, and David Johansen. Everybody Wants is not a subtle album. It's all pomp, circumstance, bluster, and nasty, sugary goodness; an 11-track set (13 on the 2016 U.S. reissue) of hook-laden, radio-ready party songs that embrace both sleaze and cheese. Luke Spiller is a born frontman. He's got the Jagger swagger, but where Mick's antics invoked the American south, Spiller is a purely East Midlands creation, and like the Darkness' Justin Hawkins, his flamboyant English delivery will likely be the barometer listeners use to gauge the duration of their stay. The songs themselves are largely formulaic, but delivered with such gusto that it's easy to forgive the chicanery behind them. Bawdy, ballsy, silly, and sweet, standouts like "Could Have Been Me," "Roll Up," and "Kiss This," not to mention a couple of new gems on the 2016 reissue -- "These Times Are Changing" and "Ol' Switcheroo" -- will likely appeal to a wide range of pop enthusiasts. From the Buckcherry fan to the One Direction fan, there's a little bit of something for everyone on the aptly named Everybody Wants. ~ James Christopher Monger

• Released: 2016-03-04
• Format: CD
• Genre: Rock