The Struts: “Could Have Been Me” (2014)
Luke Spiller’s Mercurial (as in Freddie) vocals and propensity for a singalong chorus have earned The Struts millions of YouTube views and a number one placing on Spotify’s Viral Top 50 (for this very song).
It also has fans hailing them as the Next Big Thing, which, unfortunately, they are not.
Not because they aren’t a good, exciting band. But because we’ve seen this not pan out before. Their retro Anthem Rock sound with the glammily androgynous, big-voiced, Jagger-swaggering front man is an update of The Darkness for the 2010’s. The Darkness were an engaging retro rock band, too.
But they didn’t change the world. Because the world isn’t ready for that change. I don’t know if Rock will ever again be what it once was–the dominant form of popular music for young music consumers. But at last check, albums like Everybody Wants The Struts weren’t showing promise of elbowing Drake and Kanye from the Billboard Top 40.
Still, with songs like this stirring ode to giving life your all (reminiscent of some of Frank Turner’s better work) the Struts certainly deserve to find an audience.
Even if that audience will likely never be a Queen-sized one.
See also: Songs You May Have Missed #694 | Every Moment Has A Song (edcyphers.com)
Every Moment Has A Song 