White Noise & Lightning- The Best Of The Continental Drifters
Omnivore, 2024
9/10
Listen to White Noise & Lightning- The Best Of The Continental Drifters
A supergroup of artists who spent time in The Bangles, The Dream Syndicate, The dB’s and The Cowsills, Continental Drifters got their start in the early ‘90s, and have reunited many times over the years.
The songs here span their entire career, and are released alongside the publication of Sean Kelly’s White Noise & Lightning: The Continental Drifters Story.
“The Rain Song” starts the listen with a shimmering, harmonic spirit, where the warm voices are complemented by Russ Broussard’s agile drumming and Peter Holsapple’s well timed keys, and “Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway” follows with a rugged spirit, as Mark Walton’s bouncy bass adds much energy to the melodic gestures.
Further along, “Invisible Boyfriend” allows Carlo Nuccio’s cautious drums to illuminate the warm guitars from Gary Eaton and Ray Ganuchea, while “Mixed Messages” is a bright album highlight that benefits much from Vicki Peterson’s fluid guitar and Susan Cowsill’s cozy acoustic guitar.
Closer to the end, “Na Na” emits glowing keys and bouncy bass, as Robert Maché’s meticulous guitar impresses us, and a live version of “Who We Are, Where We Live” exits with firm acoustic guitar and expressive singing that soars for 12 minutes of timeless and memorable songwriting.
A band of unparalleled talent and execution, whether this is your first time or you’ve been following along, you’ll be impressed with the legendary proto-Americana sounds.
Travels well with: The Cowsills- Rhythm Of The World; Holsapple & Stamey- Our Back Pages