11.23.2007
Alberta Cross

A little birdie sent me Alberta Cross's The Thief & The Heartbreaker, telling me to "think The Band + Band of Horses/Laurel Canyon circa 1969!" I was completely lost on the Laurel Canyon bit (I now know its L.A. connotations), but being that Band of Horses has my soul, I immediately gave a listen and then proceeded to fall in love. The opening title track opened subtly enough but then soon gave way to the wailing, pitch perfect voice of Petter Ericson Stakee. I was struck! The Summer of Love came into mind -- this voice belonged in the Monterrey Pop Festival of '67! And then imagine my surprise when I learned the voice was British! How a voice and sound could perfectly encapture the American Flower Children of the yesteryears while coming from overseas, I have no idea.

The disc whirred on to deliver more enchanting tracks showcasing Stakee's incredible pipes and the soaring riffs coming with them. The music was '60s, folk rock, bluesy, Norcal, timeless. Here's one for the English!

m4a The Thief & The Heartbreaker
m4a Old Man Chicago



Video for "Hard Breaks"

[Alberta Cross's Myspace][Alberta Cross's Official site]