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Gambit Weekly 12/28/99 (New Orleans, LA) #1  Expertly crafted, strongly played, passionate rock ‘n roll brimming with heart, wit and intelligence. Every one of the 14 songs is a keeper, revealing new shades with each listen. Gorgeous vocal harmonies are everywhere, and the instrumental textures range from the soothing heartbeat percussion on the delicate love song "Heart, Home" to the scalding guitars of "Don’t Do What I Did." Susan Cowsill’s vocal wail on the chorus of "Rain Song" is the most heartbreaking musical moment of 1999. Offbeat Magazine 1/25/2000 Won Best Album of 1999 in "Best of the Beat" music awards. "The Best Louisiana CDs of 1999" Stereo Review’s Sound and Vision Magazine February 2000 "10 Best CDs of 1999" #5 "Pure magic." State (Columbia, SC) 12/17/1999 "Haven't you heard?" "They say experience is a great teacher. This band’s musical and worldly experiences exceed that of any act on the planet. In a perfect world, the Backstreet Boys would be flipping burgers and the Continental Drifters would be at the top of the charts." The Village Voice 2/22/2000 #88 1999 "Pazz and Jop" Robert Christgau’s "Deans List for 1999" The Daily News (Los Angeles, CA) 12/30/1999 "The Best of 1999" #9 "Rootsy Americana from a treasured family oriented band." Times (Trenton, NJ) 12/26/1999 "Forget Sales Figures – Here Are the Best CDs of 1999" #6 "... there's something sure captivating about the Continental Drifters. Full of ragged acoustic and electric guitars, superb songs and sublime harmonies, "Vermilion" offers a stirring dose of Americana ... the pieces fall together perfectly. The song structures are brilliant throughout..." Sun (Lowell, MA) 12/26/1999 "Music ‘99" #1 "... a community of folks with poppy pasts produce a pop/folk/rock gem, inheriting the spirit of The Band along the way." Nashville Scene (Nashville, TN) 12/16/1999 "Music Best of ’99: Personal Statements" #7 "World class" Pop Culture Press 1/25/2000 Best of 1999 Kent Benjamin (Features Editor) #3 "Finally, the Drifters produce the album anyone who’s seen them live knew they were capable of; the best folk/rock album since Murmur." Michael Toland (Reviews Editor) #4 Music Monthly (Baltimore, MD) January 2000 "The Best of 1999" "Vermilion lives up to [the Continental Drifters,] considerable legacy... St. Paul Pioneer Press (St. Paul, MN) 12/28/1999 "The Year in Pop Music" Listed in "Ten terrific records you (probably) didn’t hear" St. Cloud Times (St. Cloud, MN) 1/13/2000 "Top 20 Albums of 1999" "Well-produced roots-rock from this Louisiana supergroup." Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) 1/7/2000 "The Tops in CDs" #9 "It was a long time coming but worth the wait... All the attributes that make the Drifters an Americana rock band of the first order are present: deft musicianship, robust sound, heartfelt, mature songwriting." The Riverfront Times (St. Louis, MO) 12/29/1999 "Critical Mass" Favorite Albums of 1999 Telegraph (Dixon, IL) 12/16/1999 "A Mixed List" #4 "...Vermilion is extraordinary – a collection of smart, appealing rock, folk, and R&B songs filled to the brim with tasty guitars, B-3 organ, engaging melodies and tight harmony vocals..." Ann Arbor News (Ann Arbor, MI) 1/1/2000 "'99 Pop" "The 20 best albums…" Sunday Republican (Springfield, MA) 12/26/1999 "Best Albums of ’99 Mark Extremes" Iowa City Press-Citizen (Iowa City, IA) 12/9. 1999 "Musser Makes His List…" Honorable Mention.

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