Description
Victory Is Rated is the 3rd studio album from Philadelphias Dark Blue, following 2014s Pure Reality and 2017s widely acclaimed Start Of The World. Over the course of the last half decade, the ensemble helmed by Clockcleaner / Puerto Rico Flowers founder John Sharkey III, have walked a thin line between defiance and fatalism, often trading in the anthemic with equal doses of the sardonic and the melancholy. That all of it is increasing informed & influenced by the real goddamned world probably helps.
Theres some cruel irony in Sharkeys (second) self-imposed exile from the USA occurring right after completing the recording of Victory Is Rated with conspirators Andy Nelson (Ceremony), Michael Sneeringer (Strands Of Oak, Rosali) and B. David Walsh given that this is by far, Dark Blues most fully realized statement in some alternative universe where this band toured consistently, theyd be way too big for this label (frankly, they already are), but really, what has America done to actually deserve their brutal honesty?
Sharkey says the albums main themes are class war and mortality. Im not entirely sure there are other themes (not simply on Victory Is Rated, either) , but were very fortunate hes so skilled at writing about those two. He also likens the record to if Blitz went Brit pop and while that ticks off a couple of crucial boxes for me, lets get something rather thorny out of the way. However many allusions youve seen to some subculture you either dislike or can barely be bothered to skim the surface of on a Dark Blue flyer, this is not a high (?) concept series of mannerisms disguised as a gloriously powerful rock band. Dark Blue is a gloriously powerful rock band. For all time.
John Sharkey III – vocals, guitar
Andrew Mackie Nelson – bass & piano
Michael Sneeringer – drums
B. David Walsh – guitars
with additional support from
Kurt Vile – trumpet
Sara Schimeneck – keys
Recorded & Mixed by Jeff Ziegler
Produced by 2 Young Attorneys
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