The trajectory of a band from the beginnings of gloomy garage practice sessions to headlining sell-out shows and collecting a strong core fanbase can take years upon years. That is unless you are Birmingham-based Overpass, who just two years ago played their first gig and since then have gone on to support the likes of Two Door Cinema Club and Inhaler without having an EP or album to their name.
That is until now, as ‘From The Night’ arrives with immense anticipation from the fanbase they have quickly acquired. Written during the months of lockdown, the collection of five songs covers the highs and lows of living in your 20s. Overpass may not be the first band to tackle the theme of growing up and they won’t be the last, but thankfully they deliver their tracks with enough swagger and acute musicianship to stick their head out from the rest of the pack.
One of the main reasons behind their success has to be put down to singer Max Newbold, whose vocals are often crisp and filled with charisma. The titular opener arrives with a flurry of acoustic strums before quickly kicking into gear with electric leads taking up the meat of the mix. Newbold’s vocals are commanding too, shining particularly on the chorus alongside harmonies provided by the rest of the band.
Each band take their turn strutting their stuff as the tracks roll by, with bass player India Armstrong’s playing particularly grabbing your ear on the follow-up ‘Alright’, meanwhile on ‘Wide Eyed’ drummer Jake Bishop blitzes his kit during the chorus, marking it as the best of the bunch.
Rawling’s guitar work is consistently great throughout the debut too, switching from simple yet effective lead lines to cranking it up a notch to make his choruses anthemic. The closer, ‘Beautiful’ possesses the strongest instrumental too, displaying a meaty riff amongst a bouncy beat and bass line. “We still need the chance to be beautiful” sings Newbold on the chorus, sounding right at home on top of an excellent instrumental.
Overpass has gained a lot of momentum over the past couple of years. It would be easy for the songwriting to suffer due to a lack of experience, but the quality of their musicianship shines through on their debut EP to disregard any potential misfires, and on ‘From The Night’ they’ve created five songs that will be sure to be a joy to watch live. Overpass will undoubtedly be one to watch grow and mature in the years to come.
Words by Niall McGreevy