ATO Records

A stopgap between Alberta Cross’ excellent 2009 sophomore effort Broken Side of Time and another full-length due in 2012, The Rolling Thunder EP may be short on play time (only five songs) and pressings (only 2000 made) but it doesn’t lack in ambition or quality. There are classic rock structures that recall Neil Young and an experimental streak that nods to Pink Floyd, but it never sounds dated or overly derivative. Instead, a song like “Wait” dips into Radiohead territory, while “Money For The Weekend” is a hedonistic upbeat dance-rock number with a heavy hook and punk energy not too far from Jane’s Addiction. Showing off the band’s range, the moody mid-tempo burn of “Driving With Myself” and the delicate piano and string-led ballad “Rolling Thunder” close the EP. Holding it all together is frontman Petter Ericson Stakee’s unique, instantly recognizable vocal timber, defining the band’s sound in much the same way Neil Young’s voice has always set him apart.