Emerson Drive

Believe
$13.49
Emerson Drive continues to have far and away the best sound of the "male harmony" country groups out there. And this album puts it to fine use on another collection of fun, tight, well-crafted, exceptionally pleasant-to-listen-to songs. Why these guys haven't become more popular -- and why this album has such limited release and publicity -- I haven't a clue. But anyone who has enjoyed better-known groups like Diamond Rio, Lonestar, Ricochet, even Rascal Flatts, is likely to really appreciate Emerson Drive once they hear them. May the "secret" get out to lots of people and help these guys enjoy the success they truly deserve! We want them to keep putting out great albums for us to enjoy...

What If?
$13.98
Really like these guys' sound and lyrics. Excellent music you can enjoy with your kids and not worry about soiling their or your mind with gutter junk. Like their other CD's as well. Great talent!

Countrified
$9.98
It's true. I unanimously agree with the other reviewers that this is sweet music. It is very hard to find such a cd that you don't skip tracks. I'm not really big on Charlie Daniels band, but the instrumental on this song is done spectacularly. It brings a whole freshness to this old song. I literally can listen to every song on this album.
If I had to nail down favorites they would be: "Moments", "Everyday Woman", "A Boy Becomes A Man", "Lucky Man", and "Painted Too Much Of This Town." I was really surprised by "Painted Too Much Of This Town." The title suggested that it would be a filler track. Not so! Not so!

This album is amazing. I heard "Moments" about 2 years ago while trucking and loved it. I hesitated picking this album up simply because I had their first album and didn't care for it. I really didn't like the singing or the songs on their first album. Brad Mates has really improved! That is an understatement! He is right on here on this album. I did like "Fall Into Me" but that was about it on their first one. I haven't listened to their 2nd album. Maybe I will get around to checking that one out as well. This current album is like a Great, Greatest Hits Album.
I highly recommend it. I bought it new through the Amazon Marketplace. Pick a copy up. You will not be disappointed!!!!!

Belongs To You
$0.99
Prime Cuts: Belongs to You, Your Last, That Kind of Beautiful

Trouble has been brewing on the horizon for this Canadian group since the lead single "Belongs to You" only meagrely scrapped into the Billboard Country Top 40. And things took on an ominous turn when Valory/Big Machine Records kept postponing the release date of this CD. Moreover, Emerson Drive's reputation took on a further nose dive when the rumor mills started churning with the sudden death of former guitarist Patrick Bourque. As for the future viability of the group, it certainly is not to be found on this new disc. Not that it lacked good songs, other than "Belongs to You," there's nothing here than spells hit. Over the years, Emerson Drive like many country bands (such as Alabama, Rascal Flatts, Restless Heart and countless others) has straddled the fine line between rock and country. Business is as usual here with "Believe"--there's the usual anthemic pop rockers bolstered by the group's tight harmonies, the normal line-up of Nashville's top writers (e.g., Tom Shapiro, Rivers Rutherford, Luke Laird, Tim Nichols and Dave Berg), and the commercial sheen burnished by veteran producer Josh Leo and former Alabama member Teddy Gentry.

Though sadly ignored by country radio, the true gem of this CD is "Belongs to You." A gorgeous power ballad, "Belongs to You" portrays love at its romantic best made even more beautiful with lead singer Brad Mates' soulful vocals. Romance gets reprised again with the acoustic sounding "Your Last." Intricate, intimate and heart warming, "Your Last" is a vital piece that deserves wide circulation. Unfortunately, these are the only two ballads and the CD's equity would certainly be inflated with more of such love songs.

As for the propulsive numbers, "That Kind of Beautiful" is a hooky splash of sunshine: its positive lyrics and its engaging melody are what make this a future summer time favorite. Penned by Josh Leo and Shawn Colvin, title track "Believe" with its electronic vocal reverberations has mass appeal for crossover pop success. The rest of the album is not ropey, nevertheless, there's nothing revolutionary about these cuts. They cover the tried and tied themes canvassed by modern country, including the pretty average "That Was Us" - a throwback into the protagonist's rowdier days. While "I Love This Road" adds nothing new to the burgeoning canon of road songs a la Sawyer Brown's "Six Days on the Road" and Kenny Chesney's "The Road and the Radio." Similarly, vamped-up rocker "Livin' It Up" recycles the over-used theme of living life to its max without much freshness.

In many ways "Believe" tries too hard to be affable to country radio that it becomes like the million other songs played on air now. These 10 tracks are by no means offensive, except that too many of them do not possess their own identity to be memorable. Nevertheless, the redemptive value resides in the ballads. Shame that radio didn't do "Belongs to You" justice. Maybe justice will be served next time if "Your Last" gets a chance to hit the airwaves.