Julien Temple's recent documentary Best Thing Since Cavan portrayed The Strypes as a band with split allegiances, to their 1960s rock'n'roll roots and a more contemporary sound in the lead-up to their second album.
In any case, the four- piece crucially need to prove themselves as more than a talented tribute act. Do they succeed? Well, kind of. It’s a more grown-up-sounding record, packed with lip-smacking guitar licks, strong melodies and strident anthemic indie-rock choruses.
Despite those positives, they still struggle to find an original sound, as evidenced by tracks such as Get Into It (Arctic Monkeys), Queen of the Half Crown (Oasis) and Everyday (The Beatles).
But if you can overlook the ongoing idolisation, there’s still plenty of fizz and fun to be found.
thestrypes.com