Following on the heels of their lackluster split with December Peals, German cock-rockers Boozed are back with One Mile for another round of liquor-fueled rock 'n' roll, though this time they turn up the punk. But will anyone be singing?

While the aforementioned split offering left little to desire in the form of Southern rock and AC/DC jocking, One Mile makes significant strides in the right direction. Though the disc's opening number "Save Me" shows little promise, by the second track, signs of hope begin to emerge. "This Ain't My City" darts forward with a hurry-up pace and choppy guitar riffs, while the following "You Gotta Go" owes a major debt to the Bronx in its chord pattern, melody and Matt Caughthran-styled yell. Still, there are plenty of the cringeworthy Americana anthems that made their previous release hard to bear, including "One Mile to the Moon," "Asphalt's Burning" and "Sexy." The lyrics don't translate particularly well either, as the German band sings on "Circus": "Slowly I walk / Certainly don't talk / I ain't known a friendly man / Few people know / I'm only living for the show / And I'll take my last breath stumbling through the sand."

Though a great deal better than their previous effort, Boozed still has a ways to go for the good to outweigh the bad. And while some of the Bronx-styled tunes work better here, this German quintet could stand to let go of their Southern rock "roots."