ALBUM: The Strypes 'Little Victories'

Rating:

It’s unfortunate that The Strypes seemed to have developed a stereotypical tagging: “young band, retro sound” with special emphasis on the “young”. It has also dragged with it so many misjudged and untruthful presumptions. For the time The Strypes have been on the scene, we’ve been told what to hear within their music and for their debut Snapshot; Dr Feelgood, Bo Diddley and The Yardbrids wouldn’t be far off. However, to repeat ourselves and say the same for Little Victories would be nothing but lazy. When you’re told something enough times, you begin to believe it. Saying this album is like a Bugg/Kane/Gallagher cocktail, is completely missing the point.

Instead of simply emulating their debut with slight progression and re-creation, The Strypes decided this just wasn’t going to cut it for them and have produced an album of almost utter difference. However, do not expect to hear a “new band”, expect to hear a band who fully know what they’re doing and are doing it well. Never being ones to play it by the book, The Strypes have strayed out of their comfort zone, but could we have expected any less?

Go into your first listen with a fresh outlook. Forget the image, backstory, famous supporters and prestige and just listen to the music. Without preempting and expecting what you are going to hear, you will truly get a sense of what these lads are trying to say and do. Drop the unnecessary stereotype.

Scooped up into a musical whirlwind, The Strypes first year fully in the spotlight came in the run up to the release of their debut album Snapshot and the critical acclaim that it brought. Living up to its success was always going to be the next big step for this band but the “tricky” second album sounds nothing like a struggle. Opening with ‘Get Into It’, a bass line that needs a good wash drives the album into its first few, not at all tentative steps. This and the equally as grimy set closer “I Need To Be Your Only” immediately hit you between the eyes as something that need no growth on you.

By using a wider range of musical techniques and a newly discovered masculinity, The Strypes have been able to immediately and more importantly, confidently flip their direction. Strongly heard in (debatably – we’ll let you decide) the best track on the album ‘A Good Nights Sleep And A Cab Fare Home’. Commercially perfect and radio ready, the tune’s focus is definitely on the new. Lyrically and musically showing great maturity, this is our first glimpse of a hip-hop inspired Strypes. With the opening seconds sounding reminiscent of Drake, a Frank Ocean name drop and its seedy guitar; ‘Cab Fare’ could be the theme tune to an episode of Skins. A stream of soul stained vocals carried by Ross Farrelly depict one of the album’s many great lines: “Tie your loose ends around my neck and pull me in, ‘cus I’ve got nothing but a keen eye for you and a need to sin”.

Emotional depth that only comes with time is proven in ‘(I Wanna be Your) Everyday’. The observational but not obvious lyrics of blues ridden and grungy “Queen Of The Half Crown’ show that The Strypes, but mostly writer Josh McClorey, have left behind their musical vulnerability and have embraced bridging the gap between development and expansion. By having a textbook knowledge of early blues as well as the work ethic of underpaid nurses, you can’t deny the underlying sense of confidence that comes with The Strypes. If the stars were aligned, those working hardest would be rewarded most fruitfully.

‘Eighty Four’, ‘Best Man’ and Now She’s Gone’ are heavier in tone and aggression; they’re Snapshot on steroids. Stompy and catchy without pretences, with off centred riffs and sing-alongs these are the tracks that live, will cause havoc.

The sly, seductive and unexpected turn of ‘Three Streets and a Village Green’ and the choppy beat of ‘Status Update’ highlight drummer Evan Walsh’s relentless rhythm that just doesn’t seem to ever falter.

No one can say that the bands they were listening to 5 years ago are exactly the same as now. Individually seeming to have found their personal musical preference, The Strypes have been able to compile a “Best Of”, of what they enjoy and cohesively put it together as one. With his first penned and recorded track, bassist Pete O’Hanlon takes the lyrical intent of Billy Bragg – poetically full of fictional, vivid descriptions – with the musical diversity of a Squeeze tune and fuses it into one with anger hidden in its pace and the upbeat make-up of ‘Cruel Brunette’.

‘Scumbag City Blues’ is the perfect desert. Probably the most widely relatable track on album number 2, it would be surprising if a young person couldn’t relate to this. Portraying the truth about their hometown, everyone at some point has felt misplaced where they grew up and ‘Scumbag’ musically illustrates frustrations and realisations about the sepia coated paradise everyone but you, sees.

If this is what two years of relentless gigging, writing and just simple hard work can produce it’s exciting to see where the industry will guide The Strypes to next. Musical success is a marathon not a sprint, and The Strypes don’t seem to be throwing in the towel anytime soon.

Little Victories is released 21st August via Fairly Extreme Ltd.

Want to prove me wrong? Go catch The Strypes live this autumn.

September
Manchester, The Ritz – 26th
Glasgow, Queen Margaret Union – 27th
Sheffield, Plug – 28th
Norwich, The Waterfront – 30th
October
Bristol, Motion – 1st
London, Koko – 2nd
Birmingham, Rainbow Warehouse – 3rd

Rachel Young
@_rachel_young