“Continental Drift” is the second album from New Mexico artist/guitarist Scott Peterson. Released in the Spring of 2008 – two years after his surf-tinged debut “Pacifica” – these 12 original titles explore a range of musical sources from home and abroad. Surf guitar and exotica are still the somewhat understated thread that connects thematic elements reminiscent of Arabia, Polynesia and the Mediterranean as well as American retro-rock. The opener/reprise number “Skin Deep” melodically invokes the Middle East ala Dick Dale – both energetic and hypnotic. The springy “UFO Stomp” is a nod toward space-age pop and the Les Baxter tribute “Caesar’s Palace” fits the lush mood of a cool summer evening. The Oud (Arabic Lute) is the centerpiece on the ethnic-folk sounding “Arid Lands Newsletter” and “Haifa” while “Sandra Dee’s Dream” returns to the west coast for straight-ahead surf guitar. The collection that is “Continental Drift” spans an unusual and exotic sonic realm and offers a brief escape from the here-and-now to the not-so-everyday world.