7/10

There’s a particular kind of record that sounds like it has lived through something rather than carefully assembled, and for Cincinnati trio Tina Fey, 'Victory Lap' arrives with that weight embedded deep within its core. Despite its title, what unfolds here is a document of survival, tension, and the uneasy clarity that follows a difficult stretch of time.

Built in a compressed, almost claustrophobic recording window, the album carries that immediacy in every corner. You can hear the urgency in the way the songs move but nothing feels accidental either. It’s a fine balance between instinct and intention, where raw ideas are allowed to breathe without losing their edge.

Opening cuts establish a dense, guitar-driven foundation, with distortion used more as atmosphere than anything else. The band lean into repetition and weight, creating passages that feel physically immersive. But it’s in tracks like 'Strigo' where the emotional centre begins to take shape. Beneath its shifting structure lies a meditation on connection, how friendships endure, and what it takes to hold onto them when everything else feels unstable. There’s a quiet poignancy there, buried beneath the noise.

Elsewhere, 'Dead in a Boat' introduces a different kind of tension. There’s a circularity to its momentum, echoing the idea of being caught in patterns that refuse to resolve. The track captures that specific kind of frustration where progress feels just out of reach. It’s a moment that reinforces the album’s broader themes of uncertainty, repetition, and the search for something more solid.

What makes 'Victory Lap' particularly compelling is its sense of collective identity. Basslines anchor the chaos, drums push everything forward with a relentless drive, and the guitars move between structure and dissonance with a natural fluidity. Even the additional elements of subtle vocal layers and unexpected textures feel integrated into the direction of the record.

In many ways, 'Victory Lap' feels like a turning point, simply because it acknowledges what’s been carried to get here. It’s a record that reveals more of itself with each listen, and for a band still defining their place, Tina Fey sound remarkably assured.