Music Review

09 January 2009 21:23 BST

Alberta Cross: The Thief & The Heartbreaker EP

Ark Records, out now.

b>In a nutshell...

Countrifed. Traditional. Familiar. Worthy. Beardy

What's it all about?

This was the first release by Alberta Cross, back in 2007, and has since become a much sought-after early example of the retro-rock that recently earned them a support slot on the Oasis UK tour.

Who's it by?

Alberta Cross are a New York based band whose melodic rootsy sound has earnt comparisons to Neil Young, the Band, Kings of Leon and similar retro-inclined country rock acts. The reissue of this debut EP follows on from this year’s Leave Us or Forgive Us (EP) and precedes their debut album proper, due in 2009.

As an example...

"Don't you ever tell me why/The devil's all you ever had, love/He just eases your mind/He just eases your pain." – The Devil's All You Ever Had

Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys

As Kings of Leon will no doubt atest, retro-rock sells, at least in the UK. However, Alberta Cross' time is not yet now. This EP is an early sampler to be loved by the faithful and spoken of in hushed tones while waiting for their debut album proper. But even then, as signposted by their recent Oasis supporting slot, Alberta Cross are savvy enough to realise that the UK embrace this sort of countrified pleasantness far more readily than the home country that it actually evokes.

What the others say

"Each song here is a classic that you'll get after a single spin but will never lose its sheen." – Drowned In Sound

"It's so real, so authentic, so true to the spirit of the original, it seems somehow ersatz, borrowed and, well, fake." – Guardian

So is it any good?

When dealing in such deliberately retro music it can be difficult straddling the fine line between homage and plagiarism. Alberta Cross suffer from the outset because this EP immediately sets its stall on the wrong side of the divide.

There are countless acts, from Sonic Youth to Teenage Fanclub, who are 'influenced' by Neil Young without actually sounding anything like him. Alberta Cross instead choose to steal, wholesale, Young's Down By The River, give it a new name and release it as the first track of their first release – not a good omen.

The other problem is a more modern debt – they sound almost exactly like Band of Horses, themselves a watered-down version of My Morning Jacket, themselves highly indebted to the ultimately superior works of 1970s forefathers. Authenticity is what they aim for, old-hat is occasionally how they sound. Especially after Fleet Foxes have already nipped into this space earlier this year and revived the genre via their own gorgeous harmony-laden take.

However, get over the tired sound, give it a few listens, and this EP does yield rewards. The Devil's All You Ever Had is a gospel treat and Hard Breaks has a heartbroken gem.

There's nothing wrong with Alberta Cross. The playing and singing here is particularly accomplished for a debut EP and the songs, when not borrowed, are surprisingly memorable. However, caught between the classic rock they imitate, and their peers who already do it better, it is hard to know who really needs this.

6/10

Stephen Braund