The Thief & the Heartbreaker

by

Alberta Cross

Edit

I don't know how many times I've read about a band in Rolling Stone that sounded cool in how they were described, had cool influences, even looked cool in the photo - and then I checked out their music and it stunk. Well, I read an article on Alberta Cross a few weeks ago, checked out their website, and listened to a stream of their new album. Instead of the usual few seconds of the first few songs, I listened to the entire thing all at once, and was just captivated. They sound fresh yet familiar, modern yet old, and honest - exactly how I felt when I heard Pearl Jam's and Blind Melon's first records, two debuts I also fell in love with at first listen. Also think Black Crowes, Kings of Leon, Neil Young.

But speaking of this record specifically (the new full-length album, Broken Side of Time, is darker and heavier), it opens with the amazing title track. Drums first, a little bass, some guitar, and then a haunting chord progression, all building up until the stunning voice of Petter Ericson Stakee starts to sing. Fantastic song.

The next two tracks are a bit more upbeat, think Blind Melon, though with melancholy lyrics. The remaining songs are lower-tempo songs of loneliness, trouble and heartbreak - standard lyrical fare, you may think, but even the cliches sound good.

All in all, this is a stunning debut. All seven of the songs are solid; any music listener looking for the perfect blend of classic and modern rock in a new band will absolutely love this great foundation for a very promising band. These guys are the real deal - something I haven't said about a band since KOL hit the scene in 2003.