Where people stand on female fronted bands can often be a sore point. Arguments for and against snarly throaty vocals or mesmerisngly sweet tones of a lady voice can be debated long into the night, although why we would want to I don’t know. Lead vocalist in five piece ‘One Too Many‘ Amy, however has found refreshing middle ground, blending the aforementioned growls of Brody with the angel like qualities of Agent M. Quite a mix and one which works surprisingly well.
Hailing from the hotbed of lower league football that is Bristol, the band play in your face melodic punk, with subtle undertones of metal lacing the tracks with a raw energy, which some bands continuously fail to snatch. Having toured with the likes of Leftover Crack, 4ft Fingers and Five Knuckle to name but three, the future is more than bright.
The first of the three songs begins with ‘all you know’, opening with a well executed slice of guitar, leading into a sublime piece of upbeat melodic drumming that sets the tone for the song and what you can expect for the rest of the EP. ‘Career Ladder’ is very much in the same vein with yet more energy bursting through your speakers, before final track ’empoweress’ steals the show in fine fashion, showcasing some clever vocals with some princely pitch changes going over inventive musical arrangements. Although only lasting a meagre three tracks and eight minutes, this is the perfect example of a band grasping at the horns what they have and packaging it well.
Ultimately though, One Too Many won’t be to everyone’s tastes. The music is tight and produced startlingly well, the energy the band also convey through their music is also to there credit, but there is an edge to them which I see some people just not getting. The vocals could also prove a sore point for some, and where as I think it is to her credit, at times the snarls, could probably scare a few kids away, but hell isn’t that what punk rock is all about? You WILL love or hate ‘One too Many‘, but I think with a little more luck, a hell of a lot more people will be loving them.
Jay