Arisen, the debut CD from keyboardist and vocalist Mike Florio, features seven songs that span several years – many of them spent in frustration either trying to start a band, join a band or keep a band together. Surprisingly, given the circumstances, the music on Arisen is neither angry nor depressing. In fact, Florio writes sweeping, feel-good keyboard leads, backed with a solid three-man band and his own down-to-earth, Eighties-style vocals. The music dances on that blurred edge between rock, pop and commercial prog in a "Billy Joel does Asia" sort of way.
Florio doesn't waste time with love songs, instead offering cynicism on "Binary World" and "Media Ride," and paraphrasing Biblical scripture on "Fractured" and "Paradise of Stone." He is now concentrating on instrumental music; the man's web site devotes a section to film, video and multimedia work, as well as offers a monthly "Featured Track" in mp3 format. So if Arisen is his last statement as a singer/songwriter, at least it's honest, refreshing and undeniably musical.
Track Listing:
1) Bells for 1827
2) Binary World
3) Fractured
4) Pretending
5) Media Ride
6) Paradise of Stone
7) Violent Moods
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