Cornerstone Head Over Heels

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer

First thing’s first – this is not the Cornerstone featuring Doogie White and Steen Mogensen. You probably guessed as much from the cover artwork. This Cornerstone is an Austrian four-piece that plays a catchy, somewhat alternative kind of indie rock that owes a lot to the Pretenders and latter day Patti Smith albums.

Cornerstone is almost too clean for college radio, but too indie for mainstream radio. They have a very interesting, and very effective mix of sounds that should appeal to fans of the Pretenders, Belly, the Cranberries, and other melodic pop/rock acts with strong female vocalists.

Head Over Heels is the band’s debut, and it’s surprisingly mature for a first album. The first thing that jumps out at you is the steady, sultry voice of singer Anja Schirmer, who somehow manages to sound both bluesy and poppy at the same time. Her voice has a lot to do with the Pretenders comparison. Beyond the vocals are some very tight, very melodic songs with a fair share of melodic guitar hooks. Some are upbeat and some are serene, but they’re all well written and full of emotion.

Head Over Heels is one of those albums where you go in as a skeptic and with each song slowly emerge a believer. If it were released in 1995 or so, a single as catchy and memorable like “Fade Away” probably would have been a steady hit on alternative radio and MTV. These days, Cornerstone is going to have a much harder time reaching their target audience. Here’s hoping they succeed.

Label: Atom Records

Lineup:
Anja Schirmer: Vocals
Michael Wachelhofer: Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
Stefan Wachelhofer: Guitars, Vocals
Hannah Wachter: Drums, Percussion

Track Listing:
1. Something to Say
2. Regret
3. Leave
4. Ready to Go
5. Crises
6. Better Than You
7. I Can’t Even Say No
8. Changed
9. Something in the Way
10. Fade Away
11. Stefania
12. Regret (US Radio Version)
13. Fade Away (US Radio Version)

Online: Official site

Hardrock Haven Rating: 7.5/10