Downtown Struts

Victoria!

If punk rock had a musical version of comfort food, Downtown Struts would certainly be on the menu. From the opening strains of “Prologue,” it’s clear the 10 tracks on Victoria! are primed to combine all of the key ingredients in the melodic-punk recipe: some sprinkles of the Replacements-esque wild abandon and keen sense of pop, a little melodic-punk rough and tumble (think Dillinger Four meets Latterman), and enough Americana to put them in good company with the likes of the Gaslight Anthem and the Loved Ones. The boppy bassline in “Postcards” is enough to make it a winner, but Downtown Struts add the requisite touring-band lyrics and handclaps to the mix for added success. “Lost In America” is where the Dillinger Four influence is stronger, with its dual vocalists (one gruff, one more melodic) trading off. “Mexican Graffiti” and “Rocca Ave.” (complete with organ) are the most swinging tracks, like the E Street Band hopped up on truck-stop energy drinks. Victoria! does suffer from a lack of variation, as most of these tracks fall into a mid-tempo groove that the band have honed to a gritty diamond. Still, it’s an album that demands repeat listens, given the mood for that precise speed and rhythm. Perhaps Downtown Struts’ future will see them deviating from their favorite recipe a bit more.

Pirates Press http://www.piratespressrecords.com

“Lost In America”