The Strays are here to give their great blend of all aspects of true Rock N Roll!
Cheltenham, UK based garage rock n roll band The Strays bring fun, and a need for movement to their sound. Their debut album, Drop Out Zone, may have been out since mid 2019, but it is still gaining momentum. This album is meant for a good time, and The Strays are a band to definitely see live. There isn’t one clear influential era of rock n roll that they seem to stick with either. This album, and more recent singles, are pulling from several styles. There is 50’s rock n roll and rockabilly, a bit of 2 tone and ska, some punk, and some hints of jazz. Drop Out Zone is surely not to disappoint any rock n roll fan.
The album opens with “Hey Little Lady”. This song is a crowd pleaser. While lyrically it hits on the unfortunate situations of being a “Female-Fronted” band, the song is catchy. It has chunky rock n roll rhythm, that will get a crowd up and moving. This is a great song for introducing the rest of the album. Following up “Hey Little Lady” is “Fives and Twos”. Right away the 2 tone influence and sound is heavy. This one will also get feet moving.
This album does not lend itself to a calm listen. “Night Time Is the Right Time” is a swinging rock n roll dance song. Perfect for twirling a partner. The highlight of “Oh Baby No!” is the bass. Such a great groove. There is a jazzy/standard vocal style, but with some rock n roll grit thrown in for good measure. No rock n roll album would be complete with a song that conjures images and memories of hot rods and car shows. And, for Drop Out Zone, The Strays deliver “Get Out of This Town” with its big sound and classic tone.
The title track, “Drop Out Zone” is full of surf vibes and amazing bass grooves. It’s fit for that “Endless Summer” any time of the year. If you’ve ever wondered what punk rock legends The Cramps would sound like with a bit of a softer, 50’s style vocal, listen to “Can’t Get Through to You”. It has grit and twang, but with a softer rock n roll vocal in place of Lux Interior’s vibrato. “Fire and Ice” brings a sing along chorus with its gritty guitars and solid bass. The harmonized vocals is a definite plus.
Rock n roll is often associated with the bar and small club scene. “Twelve Bar Booze” gives that feeling to the listener at home. This is one that should be in The Strays live set rotation. It has a jazz style guitar intro, but that gives way to a classic rockabilly rowdy drinking sing-along. “Break Me Down” brings back that gritty and chunky guitar, but with steady freight train rhythm. Excellent vocal delivery. As previously stated, this album is pulling influences from all over the rock n roll spectrum. Ska punk is the only way to describe “This Life”. It has a skanking rhythm and a blistering guitar solo. To close the album, “Just Another Day” gives a doo wop style chorus, but it is much more geared towards the Drapes, than it is for the Squares.
More recently, The Strays have released a new video for their song “The Coolest Undead Kids In Town”. IT is a fun video to go along with a fun song. The video is packed with clips from classic 60s TV show The Munsters. Watch it below! Also, be sure to catch The Strays on Facebook Live on November 29th live from Sound Shack Studios.
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