BEATROUTE MAGAZINE AB EDITION JANUARY 2019

edmonton extra
ALTAMEDA
come shining through on number two
There’s a palpable live feeling at the heart of Edmonton’s
Altameda second release which is at odds with
their more tailored debut, 2016’s Dirty Rain. The genesis
of Time Hasn’t Changed You took shape in a manner that
might please legendary Big Pink denizens The Band (a
long-time fixture in the Altameda van’s disc changer),
in that the new songs were first laid down in somewhat
primitive fashion at keyboardist Matt Kraus’s cabin. While
the group considered putting out the recordings in this
barebones form, the tracks went through a transformation
under the guidance of Toronto producer Aaron
Goldstein (known for his work with City & Colour, Daniel
Romano and Kathleen Edwards).
Upon arriving in TO, Goldstein invited the musicians to
Thanksgiving dinner then sent them off for a good night’s
rest before rolling tape the next morning. According to
bassist Todd Andrews, there was “a lot of togetherness
with this record compared to the last one.” Opposed to
the usual routine where band members worked their
respective day jobs then got together when they all found
the time, the group would “get up and walk to the studio
from where we were staying, work for the whole day, get
some dinner, walk home, repeat.”
The organic atmosphere Goldstein fostered meant
the band would record basic tracks as a group (with
perfection sometimes sacrificed in favour of feel), while
overdubs often involved surprise guests as they happened
BY JOE HARTFEIL
by. One such instance saw John Prine’s fiddler Kendel
Carson popping in to borrow a cable from Goldstein. She
subsequently laid down a gorgeous part for the plaintive
“Fire,” which, as drummer Erik Grice tells it, had everyone
“weeping in the control room.” Additional ornamentations
such as Goldstein’s tasteful pedal steel touches and
the Last Waltz-esque horns courtesy of Joseph Shabason
and Vince Spilchuk underline Altameda now playing with
a relaxed, swinging confidence beyond the best moments
on its first album. In listening to Dirty Rain and Time
Hasn’t Changed Me back to back, the former now feels
like a promising warmup.
Time hasn’t changed the essence of a band whose members
take genuine pleasure in playing and spending time
with one another. Rather, it’s allowed the individual parts
to stand out more in the context of a cohesive whole. Guitarist/singer
Troy Snaterse sounds every bit the plainspoken
alt-country troubadour, and his layers of acoustic and
swirling electric textures on “Good Will Surely Come” lend
an intelligent groove to the proceedings. Keyboardist Kraus
is capable of resembling Garth Hudson or Richard Manuel
one moment and Ian McLagan at his boozy Faces’ best the
next, while the rhythm team of Erik Grice and Todd Andrews
(who have played together from the age of fourteen)
put enough power in the pop to break Tom Petty’s heart. A
well-crafted album ready to flourish alongside Altameda’s
upcoming trek through the Canadian prairies.
PHOTO: LEVI MANCHAK
AB dates for Altameda’s Western Canadian tour include Jan. 18 at Arden Theatre
(St. Albert), Jan. 30 and 31 at Starlite Room (Edmonton), Feb. 1 at the Palace
Theatre (Calgary), Feb. 3 at the Esplanade (Medicine Hat), Feb. 4 at Bo’s Bar & Grill
(Red Deer) and Feb. 5 at Average Joe’s (Lethbridge).
20 | JANUARY 2019 • BEATROUTE
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