Alberta Cross / Songs of Patience

Alberta Cross
Songs of Patience
(Ark Recordings)
***
What do you get when you take one Swede, one East Londoner and send them to Brooklyn? The answer – the stylish coupling of old school guitars with bluesy, folk-tinged vocals that makes up Alberta Cross. Having garnered an admirable fan base of bands including Them Crooked Vultures, Oasis, BRMC and Neil Young throughout their extensive touring of the States, Alberta Cross’ sound is just as eclectic, combining textbook guitar rock with Southern soul and folk all inflected with that traditional British cockiness. The result of some soul-searching in an abandoned house in Woodstock. Alberta Cross’ second album Songs of Patience is as lyrically diverse as it is musically but nonetheless heartfelt and resonant, reflecting the band’s journey from humble East End boozers to US-wide tours with rock stalwarts. With distinct echoes of a My Morning Jacket, singer Petter Ericson Stakee showcases his expansive range driving lead single ‘Magnolia’ through its anthemic hooks with his powerful and pained blues voice before delivering some softness in high note sing-a-long Wasteland. Slickly produced, Songs of Patience is a smorgasbord of musical styles and inspirations driven by Scandinavian cool, New York attitude and of course, the British penchant for arena rock.
Rachel Williams