Product Description Continental uses their Quincy, MA hometown moniker to describe it's unique blend of rock that draws influences from punk, country, folk, and blues. Founder and songwriter Rick Barton sings the songs of the everyman, speaking to our common experiences of love, loss, wandering, and resurrection. The songs are as true and real as any from the English punk bands of the 70's, capturing the energy of youth, yet delivered with the wisdom of a life lived. Continental is the latest project from Barton whose resume also includes notable Boston acts THE OUTLETS, EVERYBODY OUT! And DROPKICK MURPHYS (founding member). Review As Dropkick Murphys founding guitarist, Rick Barton has a pedigree in rousing, fist-in-the-air rock. He was also a member of 80s Boston punks the Outlets and, more recently, Everybody Out! which is to say, Barton s been around the block a few times. He showcases the tricks he s learned on these baker s dozen punkabilly tracks. It sounds a lot like a Mike Ness album only with less country and better lyrics. In a sense it s a meat-and-potatoes rock album, but Barton knows how to pen a good song. The breakup ode Wide Open Space rides a dark, surf undertone and wonders, Is it loneliness, status and the white picket fence that got us into this great big mess? With its catchy reverb-laden hook and thumping backbeat, the 90-second country rave-up Into View sounds like a lost Long Ryders track (with a faint echo of the exultant chorus from Springsteen s Out In The Street ). The title track is a stalwart centerpiece as Barton delivers a churning rocker with a Johnny Cash air, opining, Everyone s a sinner just paying dues/Sometimes it s all a man can do. Even the less sonically arresting tracks thrive on Barton s strong writing, from Wrecking Ball which pleads, Could someone crack my frown, to cannily plainspoken Hey Baby, where he declares his befuddled insecurity: One moment I feel all right, the next minute I don t feel all right. The only missteps are the forgettable Shine and Let Me Know, where Barton adopts an odd Neil Diamond vocal style. This isn t an album that will change your life, but for those who consume good rock music like burgers and fries, this will taste like Angus. --Alternative PressFrontman Rick Barton (x-Dropkick Murphys/x-Outlets) joins forces with his son for this new band, Continental. While I am not fond of what Dropkick Murphys do for Irish music, Continental seems to be doing to working class, blue collar music what Three Day Threshold has done to country music: give it a kick in the groin and a healthy dose of real world reality. This isn t Springsteen writing about the working class while on a limo ride to the studio, or Mellencamp musing about pink houses from the comfort of his hot tub. Barton seems to sing about the guy who spends his day atop a ladder painting that pink house. Barton channels the Smithereens before they were MTV darlings and Mick Jagger when he was really a Street Fighting Man. Fans of No Bullshit Rock n Roll, who like to drink and party hard, play pool and wash their Suburbans with their kids on a sunny day while smoking a Pall Mall will welcome this album and this band with open ears. It s tough, yet tuneful, replete with fist pumping hooks, great songs and top-notch musicianship. --The Noise - BostonThis album turns over a new leaf for Rick Barton it s his first stint as frontman and principle songwriter, and he manages to fuse together some good rock, a little punk edge, and surprisingly, a hell of a lot of country, and turn it all into something really enjoyable. The country influence kicks off the album with a guitar intro on Curious Spell, the first and arguably one of the best songs on the album. Shine and Downtown Lounge are both catchy tunes that make you think you re listening to something cool by John Mellencamp. If you talk to Rick, you ll hear a lot about his time as a member of the Dropkick Murphys, but All A Man Can Do definitely takes a big step away from that genre, replacing the gritty edge with a more mellow, mature sound. You won t have to read too deeply into these songs to get the meaning behind the lyrics according to Rick, the band s goal was to create a set of instantly memorable songs with catchy lyrics and good hooks, and on that they totally succeeded. There are a few tracks you really can t miss, besides Curious Spell, which I already mentioned. One is the spirited anthem Red. The title track All A Man Can Do is also worth a spin for the contrast between its catchy rhythm and bitter lyrics. On the upbeat side, check out Wide Open Space, which questions the status quo of the white picket fence/ that got us into this great big mess. Time is a great break-up song, with lyrics like, It s always been about me/ I never cared about you, and the penultimate Wrecking Ball is a bit more introspective, but keeps the solid country/rock vibe going. The album finishes up with Hold Me, and its slower tempo is a cathartic close to the 13-track album. --Mutiny on the Microphone