Victory And Associates

These Things Are Facts

Written by: PP on 15/11/2011 03:21:35

You might be fooled into thinking that Victory And Associates are a roughened melodic punk band based on "Get Tough, Get Through It", the opening song on their new album "These Things Are Facts". It presents a glitchy and bright medium-tempo sound with plenty of effective "wooah-ooh" backing vocals giving the song a bright, feel-good sound. This is the kind of songwriting that makes underground punk bands big overseas, so it's a shame the band don't continue down this easy-going road of sing alongs for the rest of the album, aside from a few exceptions ("Doubtbreak").

Victory And Associates are most effectively categorized as exactly one-third punk, one-third rock'n'roll, and one-third garage rock. They have the vibrant and buzzing production of a garage rock band, a persistently peeking love for groovy and swirling riffs that feel a little out-of-place in their soundscape otherwise, and the occasional big time sing along that recalls many a small punk band I've encountered over the years. The guitars, which have a vivid ringing tone to them, are the highlight of this album when they don't venture too far into the rock'n'roll realm, thanks to the buzzing vibe and a sense of energy they inject into the songs.

My biggest grudge with "These Things Are Facts" is the inconsistent songwriting. On one hand, the band are capable of infectious tracks like the two mentioned earlier in this review, but they have a tendency to go too noisy at times to make a lasting impact on the listener. There are plenty of examples where a desire for experimentation and a heavy use of pedals and effects takes over common sense songwriting that would have been more beneficial in each of these occasions. But the good news is that Victory And Associates have the groundwork here for something much better on their next album. They just need to learn how to focus their songwriting a little better.

Download: Get Tough Get Through It, Doubtbreak, Mistake Museum
For the fans of: The Armed Forces, The National Rifle, The Safes
Listen: Bandcamp

Release date 16.09.2011
Seismic Wave Entertainment

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