When I heard The Blood Brother's "Burn Piano Island, Burn" several years ago, I knew it would change hardcore and punk music and how they wrote and performed music. Before that it seemed everyone was all about the tough boy shouts and breakdowns. Then suddenly everyone's eyes opened and bands started writing bouncy, catchy music again.
Please Mr. Gravedigger are definitely not Blood Brother clones, but they do utilize a similar school of thought. They ride the line between hardcore and punk rock, using elements of both, but not quite either genre. At different points on the EP they bring to mind different bands. Here is a guitar part reminiscent of Twothirtyeight, there a song that brings to mind a harder Franz Ferdinand.
The conclusion of the CD ushers in a lot of silence, followed by an annoying hidden track. It is always baffling how often bands insist on adding hidden tracks. Either the song is good, and should not be "hidden," or the song is nothing more than a joke track that shouldn't be released at all. Unfortunately, in this case the song is a joke and the addition is a mistake. It would only be funny as an inside joke and the band is the only ones on the inside.
If you like the style, this is a solid EP that shows off a lot of strengths. However, due to the short length it really only feels like a snack. It does more to hunger your appetite than fill it.
2/4
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