The Strypes‘ first album was literally and figuratively speaking a nostalgic, confident snapshot of garage rock and boom blues.
Bursting with energy, the band’s back to the basics brand of rock n’ roll gained them fans ranging from Sir Elton John to Dave Grohl, and while their workmanlike musicianship and textbook knowledge of the blues set them on the course to stardom, it was also clear these teens still had a lot of untapped creative potential ready to explore.
Fitting then that on ‘Little Victories‘, The Strypes bridge the gap between retro blues and modern rock whilst solidifying and expanding upon their own identity.
Album opener ‘Get Into It‘ thumps with a dirty punk-disco groove before tying things up with a smoky harmonica break. Dripping with swagger, it is without a doubt one of the band’s most creatively daring songs up to this point The rumbling riffage of ‘I Need To Be Your Only‘ too is remarkable, but it’s Ross Farrelly’s deceptively seductive, longing drawl which truly sells the track.
Farrelly’s stage persona and vocal delivery continues to improve, as does his lyrical expression; on standout ‘Cruel Brunette‘ he dips his quell in and finds his muse in classic British lyrical observations not too far from Ray Davies as the choppy guitars and descriptive lyrics provide an excellent contrast to the song’s melodic, free spirited chorus.
‘Cab Fare Home‘, bright and funky, wouldn’t sound out of place on ‘AM‘ by Arctic Monkeys if it were a shade darker, and if it traded its funk for groove. An obvious push to diversify their sound continues on the phaser-led ballad ‘(I Wanna Be Your) Everyday‘, the harpsichord opening and psychedelic guitars showing that the band isn’t afraid of exploring new textures. In addition to studying lyrical poets, it’s clear they’ve also taken a few pages out of Noel Gallagher’s soaring melodic songwriting book.
Elsewhere, ‘Eighty-Four‘ chugs with a more familiar ‘Snapshot‘ disjointed riff before revving up to a melodic chorus, and ‘Best Man‘ jumps with a buzzy excitement which should come across better in a live setting. Bassist Peter O’Hanlon is put in the driver’s seat on the rhythmically cruising ‘Three Streets & a Village Green‘ while drummer Evan Walsh keeps the engine running, as Josh McClorey shreds over the top.
Indeed, McClorey’s lead guitar playing is gripping throughout, perhaps no more so than on the southern bluesy ‘Queen Of The Half Crown‘. With its towering, hooky blockbuster riff, the track melts with a fuzzy guitar solo, sure to be a fan favorite, while the swampy muddy shake of ‘Status Update‘ sounds like it was born straight out of the New Orleans bayou.
‘Little Victories’ tells the story of a band growing from their retro-revivalists roots, growing confidently into one of the most promising exponents of modern rock n’ roll around.
These kids are better than ‘alright’.
