When Driftwood released its first full-length album, Rally Day, recorded in their hometown of Binghamton, a unique sound transpired that reflected not only the working-class ethos of an upstate New York town, but a coalescing of identity, influence, and uninhibited musical spirit.

“It’s sometimes tough to keep any sort of focus on style or sound when you have three different songwriters,” guitarist Dan Forsyth conceded. Longtime friend and banjoist Joe Kollar offers, “I consider our sound to be more of an attitude and an approach – the result of all of our influences in a completely open musical forum where the only stipulation is to create it from the heart.” “Really Driftwood is a song based group,” fiddler Claire Byrne added incisively.

And even though they come from different directions, the three founding members – along with bassist Joey Arcuri – tend to end up at the same place.

That unity, as well as the joy derived from playing together, can be heard throughout City Lights. It takes them on a familiar road and serendipitous evolution, replete with folk, old-time, country, punk, and rock, depending on their personal moods and their songs’ needs.