Broken Side of Time
ATO Records
By Eileen Tilson
In 1931, Salvador Dali painted one of his most
famous pieces, The Persistence of Memory; a painting that all the world
is familiar with, it depicts melting clocks down by the ocean side. Many claim
this was Dali’s way of depicting the irrelevance of time, showcasing the fact
that it is only when one lives on the broken side of time, does one experience
the deliverance so desperately sought after. Broken Side of Time also
happens to be the much-anticipated full-length debut of Brooklyn-via-London
band Alberta Cross. Broken
Side of Time arrives on the heels of their acclaimed EP The Thief &
the Heartbreaker, which earned the band U.K. touring slots with Oasis, The
Shins and Bat For Lashes.
Although the band will understandably be compared to
the likes of the Kings of Leon and My Morning Jacket, Alberta Cross seeks out
the sort of raw energy and emotionally thrashing lyrics channeling the spirit of
Neil Young. A quintet of L.A. stoner rock mixed with Haight-Ashbury love, each
song follows Petter Ericson Stakee as he rips his soul apart and then stitches
the pieces back together. The album feels southern and gothic, haunting its
listeners with distorted power chords, bent guitar riffs, and dark, slightly
angry lyrics. “ATX” is a powerfully emotional song filled with Stakee’s tortured
wails and guitar thrashing. “Song 3Three Blues” opens the album with its heart
wrenching and euphoric lyrics, with Stakee pleading, “I just want to live, is
that a crime/To live life in silence.”
Founded by guitarist/vocalist Petter Ericson Stakee
and bassist Terry Wolfers, Alberta Cross formed when the two would play in
London’s east end. Stakee and Wolfers, moved to New York City in 2008 to renew
their creative energy through the newness of untrodden territory. Alberta Cross
is rounded out by guitarist Sam Kearney, drummer Austin Beede and keyboardist
Alec Higgins. The album was recorded in Austin, TX and produced by Mike McCarthy
(Spoon, Dead Confederate, Heartless Bastards). John O’Mahony (Depeche Mode,
Coldplay, Kasabian) mixed the album at Electric Lady in New York City. Coming
off playing festivals such as Bonnaroo, Coachella and Glastonbury, Alberta Cross
is preparing a small U.S. tour, before heading back over to the U.K.
Alberta Cross plays The Earl on October 9 with Phosphorescent. Tickets are available at Ticket Alternative.
