Alberta Cross was a mainstay for me during college, and still stands to this day as one of my favorite alternative rock albums. Their blend of darkly sinister guitar riffs that sounded as if the apocalypse was around the corner, clear respect for the traditions of the blues, absolutely thumping rhythm sections, and the haunting high-register vocals that sound as if they were recorded in a foggy wood somewhere south of the Mason-Dixon line all came together in a way that felt incredibly profound. Broken Side of Time captures everything that I love about rock and roll music in a single package– it’s electric and high-energy at one moment before effortlessly transitioning to being soft and nostalgic in the next. The album sounds as if it’s made for the big screen, with a thematic nature to it that fills your cup full as it takes you on its ride. I’ll never forget seeing them live during my senior year (“ATX” remains one of my all-time favorite live songs) and feeling transformed when I walked out of that show. This is rock and roll at its diverse finest– when the title track “Broken Side of Time” takes you on a journey to that final crescendo, it feels as if you’ve arrived.
Standout Songs: “ATX”, “Taking Control”, “Old Man Chicago”, “Broken Side of Time”, “Rise From The Shadows”
Matthew. 