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"Vermilion" is not only a great album, it is the kind of rock 'n' roll album rarely made anymore, the product of a collective vision - a real band - rather than the mind of one singer-songwriter. The songs reflect the diverse background of the Continental Drifters' members, who come from the dB's, the Bluerunners, the Bangles, Dream Syndicate, the Steve Wynn band and the Cowsills.
Each song - from the jangle-pop and harmonies of "The Rain Song" through the raucous, cautionary "Don't Do What I Did" to the soft and lovely "Anything" - seems tap into the vein of great rock 'n' roll, achieving a wonderful balance between rootsy authenticity and pop hooks that prove highly addictive. They emphasize the songs over the attitude but can still rock with a snarl and a sneer.
With the songwriting and singing split several ways, male and female voices sharing the lead and a tautness honed in countless live performances, Continental Drifters are a special band, and "Vermilion" just might be the best album of the year.
Eric Fidler - Associated Press
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