What do you get when you take the influences of rock-and-roll legends like Queen, The Rolling Stones, Def Leppard, and Aerosmith, and combine them all into one band for our generation? The Struts. 

The Struts are a British rock band that formed in 2009. They’ve released two albums together thus far, “Everybody Wants” in 2014 (re-released in 2016) and “Young & Dangerous” in 2018. With a frontman, Luke Spiller, who genuinely looks like the child of Joan Jett and Freddie Mercury (see picture for reference), The Struts have everything your rocker heart desires. 

Spending ten days together in lockdown after testing negative for COVID, the band wrote and recorded an entire album, “Strange Days.” The album even features Joe Elliott, of Def Leppard fame. As the album was written during the 2020 pandemic, it reflects a lot of the feelings that have come with the hectic year we’ve had. It’s the perfect thing to listen to right now for so many reasons, but to help you figure out exactly when to listen to each song, here are some ideal situations when you may want to listen to each song on “Strange Days”: 

“Strange Days (with Robbie Williams)”: when you’re remembering we’re in a global pandemic and have no idea what to do with the feelings that instills.

“All Dressed Up (With Nowhere To Go)”: when you’re pretending you’re back in a COVID-free Charm City and getting ready to go out with your friends. 

“Do You Love Me”: when you’re having a dance party in the ten minutes between zoom classes. 

“I Hate How Much I Want You (with Phil Collen & Joe Elliott of Def Leppard)”: after you’ve watched “Little Women” for the fifth time and find yourself falling in love with every single character.

“Wild Child (with Tom Morello)”: when you’re dying your hair a random color that you saw someone pull off on TikTok.

“Cool”: when you’re attempting to make the cookie recipe that you had saved for some reason, but then give up and just bake the Nestle cookie dough you’ve had in the fridge since March. 

“Burn It Down”: when you’re pretending you’re at a concert again, in a giant crowd of people with their camera flashlights acting as lighters, and taking Snapchat videos of it that everyone inevitably skips through anyway.

“Another Hit of Showmanship (with Albert Hammond Jr.)”: when you’re on your way to pick up your family’s takeout order at Carrabba’s and are finally alone to jam out to music in the car.

“Can’t Sleep”: when you’re trying to fall asleep at 3 a.m. after binging the entire sixth season of “Schitt’s Creek.” 

“Am I Talking to the Champagne (Or Talking To You)”: for a pandemic, self explanatory. 

However strange your day has been, give “Strange Days” a listen, now streaming on all music platforms.

Featured Image courtesy of Bill Whitmire via Flickr Creative Commons