the gravedigger - atlas and the attic single review
- Kaylah Chilcott
- Nov 11
- 2 min read
Brissy’s pop punk squad, ATLAS AND THE ATTIC, are back and reviving a character from their previous single, ‘POLYESTER CITY’, in their latest drop, ‘THE GRAVEDIGGER’. Their punchy and upbeat tones and catchy lyrics are here to distract you from reality and the brutally honest themes within.
Compared to some of their other singles, ‘THE GRAVEDIGGER’ sounds a bit more rooted in late 2000s, early 2010s pop punk. We open up loud, with banging guitars and drums, very punchy and loud, with classic yelling style punk vocals. The instruments pause every few bars, which really highlight the chosen lyrics;
“A GRAVEDIGGER WORKS DOWN TO THE BONE, HE’LL DIG HIS OWN SOON, BUT UNTIL THEN HE’LL WORK OVERTIME”.
As common with punk, the track keeps chords and progressions simple, with no over the top riffage or solos - very straight shooting, as it should be. It helps keep the lyrics catching and not feel overwhelming. The snare drum is super snappy and Off the bat. I genuinely feel that so many people will find a talking point within ‘THE GRAVEDIGGER’. The character of the gravedigger is meant to be a middle management character, who is beginning to come to terms with the life he lives. He will never be seen well in the light of his higher management, never good enough to be their peers, and discovers he relates far more to the poor souls beneath him - slowly shoveling soil on top of them. ATLAS AND THE ATTIC say;
“THE GRAVEDIGGER REPRESENTS THOSE WHO ENABLE THE WORKING CLASS TO EXECUTE THEIR WILL ON THE POPULATION, THINKING THAT THEY CAN USE IT TO THEIR OWN ADVANTAGE”
I don’t think this single could have come at a better time, as more and more people begin to opt out of the societal norms that plague us all.
Maybe it’s the genre, or just the existential dread of their lyricist, but even ‘OUT OF THIS WORLD’ speaks so much to the every day working punter, and how we all know we are capable of more, but become slaves to the corporate and capitalist chains.
After the bridge, the song takes a different feel, it loses the harsher edge we start with for the first half of the song, aligning a little closer with some of their it entering a longer almost monologue style. The vocals take a gentler tone, and the guitars and drums become stripped back, while the bass plays a wicked riff below. Each guitar stroke is drawn out, and glistened with reverb.
Having never heard ATLAS AND THE ATTIC before - I really enjoyed ‘THE GRAVEDIGGER’! I have now consumed the rest of their catalogue, and can whole heartedly say that their style of pop punk is incredibly catchy and easy to love. Let ‘THE GRAVEDIGGER’ be your first, and then get in bed with the rest!
catch atlas and the attic through their socials below!
