|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CD
|
|
VAN 320CD
|
Eighteen months on from the release of their debut album Everything Forever (VAN 291LP, 2015), Birmingham's Victories At Sea follow up with A Place To Stay, inspired by a world battling with anxiety and uncertainty. Moving away from the familiarity of the live room to exchanging ideas through their respective home studio set ups saw the band naturally pick up from where the ambient electronics of the album closer for Everything Forever "Sirens", left off. With freedom to experiment with no constraints or time limits, the songs were allowed space to develop at a gradual pace. Sonically inspired as much by film and literature as the records from the band's growing love for the back catalogs of Chemikal Underground and 4AD, the result sees the band embracing more atmospheric sounds, alternative tunings, and rhythm structures to produce their most compelling and ambitious body of work to date.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
VAN 291LP
|
Emerging from the concrete paradise of Birmingham, England, Victories at Sea fuse a vivacious combination of brutalist electronic hooks, soaring post-punk guitars, and dolorous wordplay. After being championed by the likes of the NME, The Guardian, Clash magazine, and XFM's John Kennedy, the band now present their debut album, Everything Forever. Written over 2014 and '15 at an abandoned steel mill in Digbeth and recorded in the damp basement of an old whistle factory in the depths of the city's industrial Northern quarter, the album inevitably embraces darker sounds and subjects. But with lyrics that often touch on matters of love, loss, and loneliness, this is a record born from a catharsis of hope and escapism, and a thrillingly taut and danceable journey. The band have toured their disco-noir extensively in the UK and Europe, earning the respect of their fans and contemporaries alike. Their 2013 debut EP, In Memory Of, earned the band the attention it deserved, particularly from BBC 6 Music, and in turn built the perfect foundation for this highly anticipated album. The band draws from influences that range from Mogwai through Factory Floor and Slowdive to The Chameleons, but Victories at Sea are far more than just the sum of their parts, with original, exciting songwriting that never loses its pop sensibilities. Standout tracks such as "Bloom," "Up," and "Poles Apart" showcase the band at their most danceable, with big chorus hooks and machine beats that timelessly devour and yet are impossible to forget. As the album builds ten tracks toward its crescendo, "Sirens" and "Future Gold" both see Victories at Sea explore more intricate musicianship and atmospheric soundscapes that build through layers of impressive electronics and heavily effected guitars. Sonically enthralling and physically moving in equal measures, this is a record with true multiplicity, depth, and heart. Limited edition of 300.
|