English rhythm & noir band Alberteen have changed their sound a bit on their new album Lowenva - a Cornish word that can be translated as "House of Happiness", and also the name of the home in which one of the band members was born. They were first and foremost a guitar band, but they branched out and added clarinets, saxophones, and even a theremin. John Rose, Phil Shaw and Ade Berry recorded it as a three-piece, in and out of lockdowns using the technology that was developed for Soho's legendary Trident Studios.
Lyrically it is a grab bag of subjects, loosely held together by a sense of loss and unease. The English landscape (Against Nature), its buildings (Station Hotel), endangered fish (The Greenland Shark), melancholy (Baby, You’ve Served Your Time) - they cover a lot of ground within half an hour. It feels like the band is searching for something solid and sturdy to cling on to. Failing that they decided to put anxiety first, a fitting choice in these weird and troubling times.
For the cover art Alberteen picked a photo taken by Jonathan Haeber during his visits to the abandoned Neverland, the former home and private amusement park owned by Michael Jackson. It is a snapshot of an era when everything appeared to be great and shiny, but it also a facade and a monument for the escapism by a very troubled man.
Lowenva will be released on Rhythm & Noir records. Release date: February 12. Full stream on Soundcloud.
Tracks:- Lowenva
- Unknown Entity
- The Greenland Shark
- Station Hotel
- Breathe In
- Barbarossa
- Against Nature
- Baby, You’ve Served Your Time
- The Rec
