Rations is lo-fi Long Island punk offered in short, economical bursts: Their debut full-length, For Victory spans 11 tracks ("Four Freedoms", though, is really just an excerpt from a 1941 speech by Anthony Eden, then-British Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs) in about 17 minutes. It's so short the band pressed it on a half-clear CD (think NOFX's The Decline).

For Victory vaguely plays out like early Hot Water Music crosspollinated with a sloppier, less complex take on '90s Chicago (or maybe Bay Area) punk. Honestly, the album does blend together quite a bit, so it's hard to pick out major standouts, but the more trebly charge of the rather short "San Loco" and the "whoa"-laden "Shore Road" makes their respective marks well. "All Gone" is really just a white noise collage of shouts and shitty guitar sounds, while "Good Samaritan" picks it back up some with a better blend of melodic joy and rough recording tones. Iron Chic's Lubrano provides a guest spot on closer "Night Nurse" with some of his signature, strained emoting.

By the sound of For Victory, Rations is by no means splendid, or intricately articulate. Their record can feel a little generic and harshly tracked too often for its short running time, but don't get it wrong–overall, the band has nonetheless managed a decent debut here.

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For Victory