Search - Continental Drifters :: Better Day

Better Day
Continental Drifters
Better Day
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock
 
  •  Track Listings (12) - Disc #1

The third release by this alternative folk-rock "supergroup" is its most focused. That's surprising given that the band expertly drifts between numerous Americana musical styles, including country twang (Vicki Peterson's "...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Continental Drifters
Title: Better Day
Members Wishing: 3
Total Copies: 0
Label: Razor & Tie
Original Release Date: 1/1/2001
Re-Release Date: 6/5/2001
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock
Style:
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 793018286428, 4028466312532, 829410310468

Synopsis

Amazon.com
The third release by this alternative folk-rock "supergroup" is its most focused. That's surprising given that the band expertly drifts between numerous Americana musical styles, including country twang (Vicki Peterson's "That Much a Fool"), Sir Douglas Quintet-like Tex-Mex, and good old garage rock, often backed with the same type of classic pop harmonies found in the Bangles, the dB's, and the Cowsills--that is, the bands in which the key members here cut their teeth. Better Day rocks more than 1999's Vermilion did--and while it's not Rumours-like in scope (thank God), the dissolution of the marriage of cofounders Susan Cowsill and Peter Holsapple is both humorously and compassionately addressed in the bookends "(Down by the) Great Mistake" and "Peaceful Waking." In addition to great songs by five different composers, the mix of horns, accordions, swirling organs, mandolins, and of course, guitars, are simply awe-inspiring, representing both a New Orleans ethos as well as the Los Angeles the Drifters left behind in the early '90s. --Bill Holdship

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CD Reviews

Best yet
Ric Siler | New York, NY United States | 09/29/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)

"While I was much impressed with Vermilion, and the self-titled debut was above average, both were spotty, with some songs that were pure gold and others that I'd just as soon skip over (though not many). Better Days is a much better overall effort. The writing is much more consistent, and the arrangements (ranging from r&b to solid rock and roll to digging-deep-into-the-heart introspective knock outs)are superb. What impresses me the most is the overall writing on the recording. What really impresses me even more is the light years that Susan Cowsill's contributions have improved - I suppose wrenching personal loss is always an artistic jumpstart. Her Peaceful Wakings is easily the best single cut on any of their albums (excuse me - CDs). Having said that, this makes for a welcome advance from a band that probably won't sell monster amounts of numbers, but if it touches you . . . it will touch you deeply. Get it."
The best album I've heard in a long time
Bruce H Matsunaga | Tempe, AZ USA | 02/08/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am not a music critic, but this album stands out in my collection as a masterful weaving of thoughtful songwriting conveyed with genuine emotion. The album's break-up songs play against each other in a way that paints the hope that was with the disillusionment that is against the cautious expectation of what is to come. The topic sentence for this album may be the first lines of Vicky Peterson's "Na NA" (also the first song) "This is the story of my life / Somebody's little girl to someone else's wife / And what happened in between / Is the dying of a dream". In a real autobiographical way, Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" can't help but come to mind when you experience this album."
Real Music from Real People
LPS | New Orleans | 07/03/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)

"A New Orleans band that's not really from New Orleans...that's a hard thing for New Orleanians to accept. (It's just the way we are.) But in New Orleans, the Drifters are big favorites. Here's why...they pretend to be nothing more than what they are. They dish up home-spun rock and heart-felt ballads, accented by subtle accordians and banjos that bring a smile to those of us who really don't care that much for accordians and banjos. These are real people making real music, and it's amazing to me that I never even knew of them til I heard this CD. If I have any criticism it's that the mix seems just a bit muddy, but it makes the CD sound like a live recording, and maybe that's just what the band wanted."