Alberta Cross – Alberta Cross

Musical Complexity and Melodious Complementarity

Anglo-Swedish group Alberta Cross opens its most recent album with inspiration. “You’ll Be Fine” has a plaintive sound but an inspiring message. The album then jumps right into a completely different sound, upbeat and energizing, with “Ghost of Santa Fe.” This track, opposed to its acoustic predecessor, has stronger instrumental elements and even some blues flair in the vocals. There is more continuity between this song and “Western State,” which succeeds it, maintaining a quicker pace, while opting for more conventional vocals.

Alberta Cross shifts again with “Easy Street,” taking a more melancholic approach with this song. This leisurely ballad is enhanced by light piano and what appear to be the effects of slide-guitar overlaying acoustic strumming. There is continuity from “Easy Street” to several other striking tracks on the album, such as “Water Mountain,” which contains similar vocal and instrumental qualities. This song begins with poignant imagery, “A water mountain leads you down to Mexico,” combined with themes of reconciliation, reflection, and nostalgia. The strikingness of the lyrics and melody is accentuated with salient falsetto and subtle echoing of vocalist, Petter Ericson Stakee. Then, resuming a bluesy flare, “Beneath My Love” is the first overtly romantic song on the album, although others certainly have amorous tones.

Towards the end of the album, “Smoky Lake” offers some musical diversity with a multiplicity of instruments. Piano patterns cascade and mingle with consistent vocals, and there are even elements of violin throughout the track. It is a lovely song that transitions well to the closing track of the album, “It’s You that’s Changing.” Here the album Alberta Cross comes full circle, returning to the softer, more acoustic sound that it opened with. More dynamic than “You’ll Be Fine,” this rhythmic conclusion develops over six and a half minutes, making it the longest track of the album. As it progresses, it grows with the addition of gentle percussion, mingled with piano and guitar, adding harmonious complexity.

Alberta Cross displays itself as a dynamic group capable of creating diversely beautiful songs. There are nuances from track to track on Alberta Cross, but they are united by unique vocals, a consistent harmony among piano, guitar, and percussion, and an overall high quality in composition.