Sweet Jesus, I feel like I have been waiting forever for this album. It was two years ago that we were introduced to Alberta Cross through their wonderful EP The Thief & The Heartbreaker. I heard it and was convinced that they were going to be the next big thing. Then they went missing. The band had some issues on the business end of things, regrouped and used the time to improve themselves.
After seeing them four times this year, my anticipation for Broken Side of Time has only grown. The previous EP was more classic Americana in the vein of Crazy Horse and My Morning Jacket’s At Dawn. With Alberta Cross’s new lineup, the quintet have altered their sound slightly a la MMJ with Z. They’ve grown into a heavy handed Alternative Rock band.
After a slow bluesy opener, Broken Side of Time explodes out of its skin with ATX and Taking Control. Kearney’s guitar work is phenomenal on these tunes and the album never lets up from there. Fueled by Petter’s vocals, the band drives forward for 45 minutes and it’s over in a flash.
I’m not ready to anoint these guys the next MMJ, but the tools are certainly there. Individually, each member of Alberta Cross is supremely talented. And they tear it up live. In fact, as good as this album is (and it’s excellent), it’s still a far cry from their live performances which are absolutely scintillating.
HearYa favs and live session alumni, Alberta Cross, just released a cover of John Lennon’s “Steel and Glass.” Their debut full length album, Broken Side Of Time, is coming out on September 22nd. Stay tuned for our review in the coming days and check out our Alberta Cross live session if you haven’t already.
The debut album from Alberta Cross, Broken Side of Time, is scheduled for release on September 22nd via ATO records. The first single is “Leave Us And Forgive Us” and it’s available as a free download on their site (in exchange for an email address).
Here’s the HearYa Live Session version of the song:
Our Alberta Cross live session has a nice comment from a reader named Dan saying that he and a friend were introduced to Alberta Cross via HearYa about 18 months ago. Unlike me, Dan has had the luxury of seeing them live a few times in NYC. I ended up catching Alberta Cross twice at SXSW and was completely blown away during their set at Red Eyed Fly.
Their second set was outdoors at Home Slice Pizza, where I bumped into Dante and Jaime from Hacienda. They had heard our session and took a break between shows to see Alberta Cross in person. That’s music evangelism at its finest and Alberta Cross deserve all the fan support they are bound to get this year. They played a blistering set, which is evident in this (loud) performance of “ATX.”
About a year ago we got an email about Alberta Cross and soon thereafter Oz and I had become enamored with their EP, The Theif & The Heartbreaker. We thought they were going to be a huge breakout band and the toast of the blog community. But then things went mostly silent. Oz and I were left completely befuddled.
After chatting with lead singer, Petter, the mystery was revealed. Apparently their old label, Geffen Records, wasn’t offering any sort of support and they were left in no-man’s land. They’ve since added three new members (including Alec from HearYa favorites The Morning Pages), have permanently set up shop in Brooklyn and just finished their first LP with Mike McCarthy in Austin. The tunes below are all off their upcoming LP that will be released on ATO Records, which is boasting an amazing stable of bands like The Whigs, White Rabbits, Other Lives, and a couple bands called My Morning Jacket and Radiohead
Their new sound is much heavier than the previous EP, but they still have a dash of that warm, 70’s hippie jam vibe. As Shirk was recording Alberta Cross, he was reminded of the Dead Confederate session. Both bands have a big, emotional, power rock sound that could fill an arena. During their set at Schubas that night, I couldn’t help but feel like I was watching a band with many similarities to My Morning Jacket. Petter has a truly unique voice, a la Jim James, and is backed by a jamming band. These guys are absolutely going places and, while Oz and I might have been sitting alone at the party for 18 months, we’ve got plenty of seats reserved. Please join us.
