Countrified

• Artist: Emerson Drive
• Rating:
• Release Date: August 29, 2006
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Country

Review

Led by the rich-toned lead vocals of Brad Mates, the Canadian-bred band's first two albums on Dreamworks received tons of high-powered accolades from the country music community -- including Billboard's Top Country Artist of the Year and Group of the Year for two consecutive years from the Canadian Country Music Association. The sounds were crisp, slick, and fit perfectly into the era's pop-country vibe, but Richard Marx's solid production was a mixed blessing; some felt he made Emerson Drive "too" pop to be legit country artists. That problem is solved on this incredibly infectious, not-a-bad-cut-in-sight collection, not only with a title indicating Emerson Drive's true identity as country artists, but with production by famed genre songwriters and producers Keith Follese and Brad Allen -- who also happen to helm the band's new U.S. label, Midas Records Nashville. There's still a rock/pop edge, reflected by the popular, family values-driven first single "A Good Man" and "You Still Own Me." But the richer country elements shine through on the fiddle passages (performed brilliantly by David Pichette) of the raucous, honky tonkin' "Testify" and barnburning "Sweet Natural Girl." Heartfelt, gently twangy ballads like "Moments" and "A Boy Becomes a Man" beautifully balance the feisty tunes. The disc's true masterpiece is saved for the end, when the boys put a crafty rock/soul energy into the classic "Devil Went Down to Georgia," adding to Pichette's fiddle genius with a touch of Latin spice and a few witty, well-placed bars of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" by guitarist Danick Dupelle. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
A Good Man (Lyrics)	Victoria Shaw, Adrienne Follesé, Keith Follese	Emerson Drive	(3:04)
Testify (Lyrics)	Theodore Gentry, Josh Leo, Brad Mates	Emerson Drive	(3:32)
Moments (Lyrics)	Annie Tate, Sam Tate, Dave Berg	Emerson Drive	(4:58)
Sweet Natural Girl (Lyrics)	Kip Raines, Craig Wiseman, Jeffrey Steele	Emerson Drive	(4:19)
You Still Own Me	Noah Gordon, Johnny Reid	Emerson Drive	(3:53)
Lucky Man	Annie Tate, Sam Tate, Dave Berg	Emerson Drive	(3:36)
Everyday Woman	Brian Maher, Jeremy Stover	Emerson Drive	(3:22)
Countrified Soul (Lyrics)	Theodore Gentry, Josh Leo, Brad Mates	Emerson Drive	(3:00)
Painted Too Much of This Town (Lyrics)	Keith Follese, Wade Kirby	Emerson Drive	(3:47)
A Boy Becomes a Man	Adrienne Follesé, Brad Mates, Danick Dupelle, Keith Follese	Emerson Drive	(3:25)
Devil Went Down to Georgia (Lyrics)	Charlie Daniels, Charles Hayward, William J. Digregorio, John Crain	Emerson Drive	(3:56)

Credits

David Kalmusky (Engineer), Theodore Gentry (Producer), Patrick Bourque (Bass), Josh Leo (Producer), Hank Williams (Mastering), Danick Dupelle (Guitar (Electric)), Brad Mates (Vocals), Drew Bollman (Assistant), Darlene Wallace (Keyboards), Keith Follese (Producer), Darlene Wallace (Organ), Darlene Wallace (Piano), David Pichette (Mandolin), Ben Fowler (Mixing), Danick Dupelle (Guitar (Acoustic)), Darlene Wallace (Vocal Harmony), David Pichette (Fiddle), Justin Niebank (Mixing), Danick Dupelle (Vocal Harmony), Ryan Turner (Engineer), Jay Riehl (Engineer), David Hoffner (Strings), Allen Ditto (Engineer)

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