Emerson Drive (CD - 2002)

Emerson Drive: Brad Mates (vocals); Pat Allingham (acoustic & electric guitar, mandolin, fiddle, background vocals); Danick Dupelle (acoustic & electric guitar, background vocals); Chris Hartman (acoustic guitar, piano, organ, synthesizer); Jeff Loberg (bass, background vocals); Mike Melancon (drums, percussion, loops).

Producers: Julian King, James Stroud, Richard Marx.

Principally recorded at Ocean Way, Nashville, Tennessee.

Personnel: Emerson Drive (vocals); Brad Mates (vocals, acoustic guitar); Pat Allingham (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, fiddle, background vocals); Danick Dupelle (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals); Chris Hartman (acoustic guitar, piano, organ, synthesizer, background vocals).

Audio Mixers: David Cole; Julian King.

Liner Note Author: Wayne R. Halper.

Recording information: LOUD Recording (05/21/2002); Ocean Way Nashville (05/21/2002); Seventeen Grand Studios (05/21/2002).

Photographer: Kristin Barlowe.

If you're expecting range-riding, honky-tonk traditionalism from Canadian country act EMERSON DRIVE, you're in for a bit of a surprise. Unlike so many contemporary country artists, EMERSON DRIVE doesn't tart up tired country formulas with a few pop tricks and call it something new. Instead they go the decidedly more difficult route of actually creating something new. The various members of the band all sport various rock, country, and pop influences, and everything gets its fair shake in their sound.

The wide-open vocal harmonies and carefully arranged electric guitars suggest that Emerson Drive has listened to the Eagles more than once, but in their harder-rocking moments they leave mellow '70s country-rock behind for something entirely more modern (though equally radio-friendly). They toss off a mean pop-country ballad as well, giving the ladies a little something over which to swoon (not counting the photogenic mugs of these young bucks, that is). minimize