When's the last time a pop-punk band came along and, with just a few bars of one song, made you know you were a fan, dear reader? If it has been a while, the next purchase you should make is Downtown Struts' third album, Victoria! – you won't be disappointed. Here (for what seems like the first time in years), this little Chicago quartet doesn't bother to add any pretty frills to their mix of punk and Americana (think Gaslight Anthem, The Replacements and those few more homespun moments that Rancid has let go into the world) – they just buck up and let go with some fine, melodic songs which play to the alleyways and avenues in every punk's heart warmly but – unlike so many other bands who would like to be associated with the same city block, Downtown Struts are also careful to point out that there is light at the end of the street.
From the moment “Prologue” begins to warm its circuits and opens the record, listeners will feel their excitement begin to build with it (and pop like an explosive breaker as drummer Zach Byrne sets a rough and tumble pace. From that moment forward, Downtown Struts peak out on a fantastic, homegrown high as songs like “Postcards.” “Back To N.Y.,” “Tim” and “Rocca Ave.” win the hearts of listeners the old fashioned way: not with of-their-moment cliches, but with good songwriting. Singer/guitarist Dan Cooper manages to perfectly characterize and encapsulate a sense of remorse at innocence lost but the will to press on beyond it (check out lines like “Have you ever felt/ Like your one last card's been dealt/ Stripped all the hope in yourself”) and maybe melt a few faces with his guitar before he leaves for parts unknown. That's the desire that the entire band wears on its collective sleeve and, while there's nothing complicated or flashy about it, it's a vibe that everyone listening will be able to relate with and want to immediately fall in line behind.
By the time “Southpaw” rolls in to wrap up the record's run-time, listeners will have long-since started sighing with warm satisfaction at the Downtown Struts' performances here, and they'll feel validated by the last blast at the end. It's actually startling how much and how quickly Victoria! can grow on those exposed to it; after just two years' development, Downtown Struts have come into their own and Victoria! is the achievement that a lot of people should rightly hear by this band.
Artist:
www.myspace.com/thedowntownstruts
www.facebook.com/thedowntownstruts
www.twitter.com/#!/downtownstruts
Album:
Victoria! comes out on May 15, 2012 via Pirates Press Records. Order it here , directly from Pirates Press.
