The Struts
British Pop-Rock Poster Boys Celebrate Ten Years of Everybody Wants
by Christopher Long
While a good many bands have popped up on the rock radar in recent years that have pointed to the past in order to forge into the future, few (if any) others have done it as boldly, successfully, and with as much authenticity as British pop-rock poster boys, The Struts.
One of the strongest records of the last decade, the band’s infectious, whiskey-soaked, nicotine-scented, eyeliner-smeared, penicillin-injected debut, Everybody Wants, passed through the hallowed halls of several smaller European labels upon its initial 2014 release. However, by 2015, it had found its way across “the pond” and into the massive hands of Interscope Records. And by 2016, a sparkling expanded reboot was finally reaching a global audience.
The Struts’ DNA is intriguing — possessing the irresistible singalong songwriting style of Slade circa ‘73 and the iconic arena-sized conviction of Queen circa ‘74, combined with the street-smart swagger of The Sweet circa ‘75. And it ALL bleeds into every groove of Everybody Wants.
The successful result of a 1988 test-tube lab experiment in which Freddie Mercury’s egg was fertilized by Tim Curry’s sperm, flamboyant frontman and storyteller Luke Spiller hooks ‘em straight away, while his co-founding songwriting partner, guitarist Adam Slack keeps ‘em reeled in with non-stop Ronson-caliber crunch. Add to the mix Jed Elliot’s skin-tight bass lines and Gethin Davies’ rib-cracking drum tracks, and you’ve got a bona fide banger — an achievement worthy of celebrating, even ten years after its original release.
The turbo-charged singles, “Could Have Been Me” and “Kiss This,” both generated significant U.S. radio airplay and garnered impressive Billboard chart stats. However, one could argue that these high-octane earworms aren’t necessarily the picks of this 13-pup litter. The bass-driven “Dirty Sexy Money,” the arena-worthy “These Times are Changing” and the super-anthemic “Young Stars” are all equally catchy, while “Mary Go Round” just might be rock’s most well-written breakup power ballad since back when that was a thing. And I’ll gladly defend that statement to anybody. But for my money, it’s the cocky, Motown-tinged, “Put Your Money on Me” that shines brightest.
And in the summer of 2025, The Struts will embark on an exhaustive 35-plus-city U.S. concert tour, commemorating the record’s milestone anniversary. Apparently, ten years later, Everybody (still) Wants The Struts!
Everybody Wants Track List (2016 Reissue)
01. Roll Up (L. Spiller, A. Slack, N. Butler, R. Hedges) 3:07
02. Could Have Been Me (L. Spiller, A. Slack, R. Parkhouse, G. Tizzard, J. Wilkinson) 3:07
03. Kiss This (L. Spiller, A. Slack, R. Parkhouse, G. Tizzard, J. Wilkinson ) 2:57
04. Put Your Money on Me (L. Spiller, A. Slack, G. Alexander, N. Southwood) 3:33
05. Mary Go Round (L. Spiller, A. Slack, M. Frederiksen) 3:19
06. Dirty Sexy Money (L. Spiller, A. Slack, N. Butler, R. Hedges) 3:57
07. The Ol’ Switcheroo (L. Spiller, A. Slack, G. Alexander, N. Lashley) 3:42
08. She Makes Me Feel Like (L. Spiller, A. Slack, R. Parkhouse, G. Tizzard, J. Wilkinson) 2:38
09. Young Stars (L. Spiller, A. Slack, N. Butler, R. Hedges) 3:23
10. Black Swan (L. Spiller, A. Slack) 3:24
11. These Times Are Changing (L. Spiller, A. Slack, D. Bassett, C. Lord-Alge) 3:26
12. Only Just a Call Away (L. Spiller, A. Slack, J. Wilkinson, R. Parkhouse, G. Tizzard) 3:04
13. Where Did She Go (L. Spiller, L. Matone) 3:54
