The Ataris - All Souls Day / The Graveyard Of the Atlantic 7"

Kris Roe was never one to shy away from wistful songwriting. The man who seems to have the eternal blues continues to wear his heart proudly on his sleeve.

Kris Roe was never one to shy away from wistful songwriting. The man who seems to have the eternal blues continues to wear his heart proudly on his sleeve, and on The Ataris’ first taste of new material since their less than successful tread down indie rock way, takes it all back to where End Is Forever and So Long, Astoria promised all those years ago.

“All Souls Day” appeared on the 2009 Warped Tour compilation and it felt that a new full length was shortly on the way. But nearly two years removed, and we’ve only got a slightly reworked version of this track. It’s as caustic as Roe has ever been (spitting out lines like “Erase our lives take back those vows / I guess it's not that easy now / I'll tear that fucking chapel to the ground”), but musically it sounds a little like “Not Capable of Love”.

The b-side of this 7” is the real gem of the mix and is a great indicator of the new album’s potential. We first heard an acoustic rendition of the album’s title track not too long ago, and now, the full band version gives us the best Gin Blossoms song The Ataris ever wrote. Its mid tempo guitar riffs and bittersweet couplets are the perfect accompaniment for what seems like the single longest road trip in pop punk/rock history.

Roe is still searching for that perfect moment, but “The Graveyard of the Atlantic” is the closest he’s ever been.

(Paper + Plastick)