“THE SOUND..STUNNING,  THE WORDS..SPECTACULAR”

“RISER’S VOCALS, WRITTEN AND SUNG ARE FANTASTIC”

“IT’S FRESH...A CD THAT IS GREAT FROM START TO FINISH”

Catherine L. Tully

Indie-Music.com

MICHAEL RISER & HIS MUSIC

Supported by music that is powerful and haunting, the melodies and topics of Michael Riser’s debut CD, “RISE,” cut deeper than the usual clichés, touch on the common threads of emotion we all share, and reflect the multi-dimensional depth of a life filled with experience.

“I’ve done a lot of things and lived a lot of lives in a short time,” the singer explains, “and I think those experiences helped me to gain some different  perspectives, which I don’t hide from in my music. I take pride in being honest with myself, and I hope that kind of honesty is felt through my writing.”

And like Michael Riser’s topics, many of his songs and melodies also reflect a strong crossover appeal, and are equally at home with Rock, Country or Adult Contemporary audiences.

With musical and lyrical moods ranging from volcanic songs like the passionate “While I’m Gone,” in which he blends intense vocal and instrumental aggression with a fiery squadron of flamenco-styled gypsy cellos, to his growling power ballad, “Real Love,” with its lyrics conveying forgiving appreciation of the desperate conditions that lead a single mother to surrender to prostitution as her only means to provide for her children,  this dynamic singer is able to uniquely blend emotion with energy to vocally convey intensity in his music and draw in the listener.

Riser also takes musical risks outside of his normal stylistic direction with heartfelt songs like “Breathe,” and the selfishly seductive song “I Want You To (Yo Quero Tu),” with its hypnotically alluring partially Latin vocal performance. His self proclaimed soul searching epic, “Ordinary Heaven,” bridges Rock, Country and Gospel, incorporating an inspirational performance by the renowned Shekinah Glory Ministry Choir, and touches on the age old question; is it better to have had happiness or love, and experience the pain of losing it, or to have never had it at all.  Mix in some high energy straight out rock songs like “Rise” and “Extreme,” with melodically memorable crossover songs like “One More Chance,” “Confidence,” “Picture” and “With You,” and you’ve got a CD that music lovers and fans of artists like “Collective Soul,” “3 Doors Down,” “Matchbox Twenty,” “Keith Urban” and “John Mayer” are quickly adopting as the next dynamic sound on the RISE.