Bands who successfully emulate their heroes on their debut album, as The Strypes did with Snapshot, their 2013 homage to sharp-edged garage blues, sometimes find themselves wondering where to go next when the dust of critical and popular acclaim settles. Instead of the well-worn path of a timid, evolutionary change to their sound, the Strypes have decided to shake things up considerably by throwing something from all their favourite bands into Little Victories. Unfortunately this has led to the creation of an album that is unfocused at best and derivative at worst. It also suggests that the influence of Dr Feelgood and the Yardbirds has been pushed aside by plodding lad-rockers Kasabian.
To be fair, there are occasional hints of the wailing harmonica and punky rhythm and blues that have seen The Strypes become lively favourites around the clubs and festivals of the UK, especially on the raucous “Status Update” and “Best Man”. Similarly, the stomping blues-rock riffage of “Now She’s Gone” and the punk-pop of “Three Streets and Village Green” imply that the Strypes still have plenty in the tank. However, the Kasabian-lite of “I Need To Be Your Only” and “Queen Of The Half Crown” and the faux-Britpop power ballad of “(I Wanna Be Your) Everyday” suggest that a good deal more time could have been spent song-writing over the last couple of years. This is only emphasised further by “Cab Fare Home”, a tale of being out on the pull while exhibiting all the poise of someone taking pointers from the LAD Bible.
The Strypes may have picked up plenty of acclaim for their live shows in recent years but this album suggests that they need to think about where they actually want to go, because Little Victories is a bit of a mess.
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