Review of Before I Self Destruct by The Victory Drive

Image result for the victory drive before i self destruct


DISCLAIMER: Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. All music is subjective to the listener. Feel free to leave comments or your own opinion! Thanks! 


Before I Self Destruct is a lush, heartfelt and truthful batch of songs from Belmar, New Jersey's The Victory Drive. The power pop group consists of Jamie McClanahan, Dan Babcock and Adam Wirth. It's worth mentioning that Jamie, also known under the moniker audio faktory, is a jack of all trades. He wrote, produced, mixed and mastered everything himself! He helps other artists write songs and handles the production duties as well. Destruct deals with Jamie's depression and anxiety, but you might not be able to fully embrace the sadness due to the fact that the instrumentation and vocals are super upbeat. It's almost ironic, but it fits very well within the context of each song.  

In the opening track "Hey, Anxiety!" McClanahan discusses his struggles with anxiety as if it was a person who was giving him a hard time. He has this problem that needs to be addressed and it can be difficult to talk about it because you just feel alone. That's the feeling I get when I listen to this track. It's very relatable to young adults. The guitar that comes in right before the first chorus (33 seconds in) is ambient and provides a nice contrast with Jamie's voice. At 1:31, some subtle acoustic guitar creates a minimalist space that leads smoothly into the final chorus. The song ends strongly with multiple layers of Jamie's voice that mimic a choir going into the outro. 

"The Countdown, Pt. II" is the most mainstream and pop radio friendly tune on this EP. It's an honest account about falling in and out of love. The electronic drums at the beginning add an early 2000s vibe to the song. At certain points, Jamie sounds like the late Chester Bennington from Linkin Park, but with a softer edge. When Jamie sings the line "feel the rush" during the chorus, he successfully adds some grit to it. He also nails some pretty tricky notes with ease. 

"Ashley" is an intimate ballad that kicks off with some delicate piano. In this one, Jamie is longing for a past lover and it reflects through the music. "Just couldn't be the man that you need" is probably the saddest line for sure. I love his double tracked vocals 40 seconds in. Jamie's voice becomes more intense and the string section is more prominent at 2:32. He's really singing from the heart on this track. 

"Dynamite" kicks off with Jamie's box-like vocals and guitar, then it opens up wide into a marching drum beat. He was probably creating this effect on purpose to simulate certain sections "exploding" into one another. The string section beginning at 2:30 is beautiful and well executed. The trumpet sounds add some video game-esque quality to the music for the ending. 

"Hollywood" has a hip-hop influenced swagger to it and this works surprisingly well. The beat is heavy, yet vulnerable at the same time. The band's former piano player, Lexi Vito who recently left the band to pursue other opportunities, adds some great variety and contrast to Jamie's vocals. 

Overall, the production is professional and polished. At certain points I wanted the distorted guitars to be more prominent in the mix to give the tracks a more rockin' edge. All the instruments are balanced nicely, the vocals are up front and also sit nicely in the mix. Check these guys out and go listen to Before I Self Destruct now!! 

-JM  

Score: 7/10 

Favorite Track: "Dynamite"             






Instagram: thevictorydrive


Comments