Date: 10.1.2003
Author: Jeanette Samyn
Magazine: Lost At Sea

Records by the Silver Jews, its associated bands, and its/their offshoots could surely constitute a substantial proportion of any indie-rock fan's music collection. This is a familiar condition in the world of independent music, of course, with a number of artists capable of being titled the Kevin Bacon of indie-rock, what with the side-projects, collaborations, and splits so abundant in the this sector of the musical world. 

Though Chris Stroffolino may not be anyone's number one pick for the Bacon title, he, too, has some history to back him up, most notably his time spent with the Silver Jews, though he's also played with Rising Shotgun and Hudson Bell. And now, like so many ex-members of the music world's beloved bands, he's fronting his own outfit. There are no real surprises on Continuous Peasant's first LP, Exile in Babyville; Silver Jews comparisons can, of course, be made, as can those to some of the songwriting greats of the last forty years, from Leonard Cohen to Billy Bragg. 

"How do you know it's raining?" and "Where Are You Tomorrow?" start off Exile in Babyville and serve as good indicators of what's to come on the rest of the record, the former being a lively, jangly number with feel that's a little bit Ted Leo, a little bit Wilco, while the latter is slower and nostalgic, a cross between Magnetic Fields and Bob Dylan. Continuous Peasant's definite strongest point lies in its use of the keys, which finds itself at the forefront of most of the songs on Exile in Babyville, livening up otherwise lackluster songs such as "It's Not a Matter Just of Me" and "You Should Go Down." 

Lackluster, however, is not a fitting word to describe Stroffolino and friends. Whether it is the contagious energy of "Breathe until You're Gone" or the despondence of "Even Now," Exile in Babyville is a solid effort on the part of one more ex-member. 

Reviewed by Jeanette Samyn