The second studio album from cosmopolitan indie rock outfit
Alberta Cross, which is now just
Petter Ericson Stakee (Sweden) and Terry Wolfers (England), and a cast of rotating sidemen, took three years, multiple studios, and five different producers to get right. The resulting, aptly named
Songs of Patience is a visceral yet carefully honed backslap of a record that sneaks up on you like a predator, then buys you a drink rather than tearing your throat out. After the release of 2009's
Broken Side of Time, the group hit the road and never looked back, sharing the stage with the likes of
Them Crooked Vultures,
Oasis, and
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and it would appear that some of the heaviness of those three bands rubbed off on the duo. Big, bold, and occasionally beautiful,
Alberta Cross is at its best when it levels the playing field between gargantuan and lovely, as evidenced by stand-out cuts like "Magnolia," "Lay Down," and the slow burn, midtempo anthem "Come On Maker." More mid-'90s alternative rock than 21st century indie rock,
Songs of Patience will resonate with fans of earthy yet cosmic college rock staples like
Grant Lee Buffalo and
Mercury Rev, but it owes a great deal to current rustbelt crooners like
My Morning Jacket and
Band of Horses as well, and while it may occasionally get bogged down by its near constant need to reach the nosebleed seats, the desperation that the band emits ultimately feels inclusive rather than brazen. ~ James Christopher Monger