Philadelphia based indie rock band A Victim of Good Times recently released a full length album entitled The Full Catastrophe, which you can stream below. We’ve seen this band live once, and this album is an awesome next step from the local four piece.
A Victim of Good Times is a cool breed of alternative rock, and takes influence from the nineties and mashes it into some really great hooks and riffs. Album opener “Cool With Me” starts off quick with belting vocals from Matt Gaines:
Lived here my whole life I think it’s time for change / Don’t know why but still tonight it feels so strange / Maybe you could help me with all the things I lack / You and me forever, you always had my back
On “Lighter Shade of Blue” they use a mix of heavy and Modest Mouse-esque guitar riffs to create a one of the best songs on the album, which ends spectacularly. The vocal delivery is notable as well, whether Gaines is screaming at the top of his lungs on the brutal “Rash” or toning it down on the ballad “Maybe, Sure,” his voice suits the mood very well. The guitar lines gets tricky too, on “Spirit Summer” with a distorted, intricate solo towards the end. The lyrical topics get apathetic and gritty, the final song “Theme to an 80’s Movie,” include the lines “Win, lose, love, loss fail and repeat repeat / When your phone doesn’t ring you’ll know it was me” and “They should write a book on how to handle these things,” as well as pounding drums and really catchy guitar work. This Philadelphia band is definitely worth a listen for fans of alternative rock, especially the kind that brings back the nostalgia of 90’s emo and grunge.
Their upcoming shows are listed below, including the record release show for The Full Catastrophe which you can listen to below and download for name-your-own-price!
April 18: Oddity Bar, Wilmington, DE
April 19: Jupiter Records for Record Store Day, Wilmington, DE
May 9: Mojo 13, Wilmington, DE – Album release show
June 7: Grape Room, Manyunk
PhillyPunk 