Christopher Michael: Press

VISIONS EP-
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Christopher Michael Unleashes "Visions"
by Holly Day,
MusicDish Network
Musicdish.com

"I don't know if I should say this or not," laughs musician Christopher Michael, but I bought my first guitar with money I won betting in football. I was, like, 17."

Despite the shady nature of his earnings, Michael proved himself to be a hard worker, finding his way into bands from high school on, self-teaching himself how to play the ill-gotten guitar and making a modest living as a musician by the time he was in his 20s.

"I didn't really come from a musical family," says Michael, "but my mom played the piano and sang in the choir. But they were very supportive when I decided to become a musician myself. I'm the only one in my family who didn't go to college, but I'm also the only one who tried to do something like this."



Christopher Michael first CD, "Visions," reflects his varied influences, mixed with a grittier and more powerful type of pop rock and even a little garage rock. The songs are loaded with cool guitar hooks, a monstrously melodic bass, and an adrenaline-charged percussion, so raw and wonderfully tense that it's as though the performers are on the brink of exploding.

"I've been playing music with Jim since we were kids," Michael says about his drummer and bass player Jim Hart. "We were in bands together in high school. Over the years, it seems like somehow, we end up being in the same bands together. We work really well together. He's like the brother I never had," he adds.

The album tells a story of determination and loss, and it's the story of Christopher Michael himself. "These songs kind of came together for me after this band I was in called Killing Words decided to take a break after the lead singer got married," says Michael. "When the band broke up and everything, I was stuck working hard in a non-musical job, a regular job, and I found myself inspired to write some songs by myself without a band. "The whole album just kind of came from being out of music for like, 3 years, and, you know, just reaching for something, and deciding I wanted to put my own songs together, and get it going again, because I had lost my interest due to, you know, finances, being a broke musician.

"I'm a single dad, and it's really hard to pay the bills when you're not making any money as a musician. And then work took over for a few years, and I did nothing but work. I still played guitar all the time, but really didn't, you know, do much about songwriting and actually getting out there and playing, being in a band. I kind of lost that for a few years, raising a child."

You can follow the path of the story from the very first track, from the plaintive vocals in "Help Me Now," where he asks for divine intervention - and love - in his life in order to get by. It moves on to the crisp sound of the acoustic rhythm guitar on "Time," where Michael takes a slightly harder-edged approach to both his music and his attitude, telling instead of asking, determined that everything's "going to work itself out all right...in time," now that he has nothing left to lose.

In "Rag Child," Michael sings, "I don't love you/I'd rather be alone," while in the last track, "Hold Me," Michael sounds slightly optimistic, singing, "should I love... should I love her?" in a song about a new relationship.

As a whole, the album is so refreshingly innocent and heartfelt that if the sincerity in the songs weren't almost palpable, it could be dismissed as corny and simplistic. It's because of this sincerity that Michael succeeds where someone less brave and less willing to bare all would fail miserably. The honest and creatively charged sound of Michael's music today seems to come naturally to him as a person. While Michael seems to have a balanced attitude, he is able to authentically express both suffering and hope in his music.

"I'm a pretty solitary person, and the only way I've ever been able to really communicate what I'm feeling to people is through music," says Michael. "So this album is basically about me trying to connect with people in a way that's impossible for me to do just through regular day to day conversation. All of the songs on here ,with the exception of Hi, are extremely personal, are taken right out of what was going on in my life at the time. Hi is just a happy pop song that was fun to write. The rest kind of came out of me of their own volition, because they were things I desperately needed to say."

Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © Tag It 2005 - Republished with Permission

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Review by: Ryan T. White
MusicShopper.info

"Christopher Michael is a solo artist, but a quick listen to Visions would lead a listener to believe that Christopher Michael is actually the name of a duo. The reason for this is the distinct difference between the two vocal styles (the pop voice and the neo-punk whine) he used to convey the six messages featured on this release."

"The album starts off with “Help Me Now”, which premiers Christopher’s pop voice, ranging in influences from Johnny Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls) to David Bazan (Pedro the Lion Whole Ep era). This emotional song of surrender features a solid bass groove, lots of flanged slide guitar, and a great guitar solo used at the end of the bridge to create a climatic moment to briefly resolve from when going back to the chorus. “Wide Awake” also uses the pop voice song and is the best song overall on the album..."
"...The ringing guitar notes and blues licks make this song the strongest by supporting the melodic flow of the vocal and the drums get more of a cardio on this song than on any other song on the album. Both of this tracks center on the acoustic guitar and vocals that are radio-friendly."

"The other four songs are sung with the neo-punk whine. Imagine a combination of Craig Nicholls (The Vines) when he’s not screaming, Gary Stringer (Reef), and add more of a Billy Corgan(Smashing Pumpkins) whine. Now take the confused ex-punk rocker and put him fronting Lifehouse or Matchbox 20. That’s where these songs go. “Time” which discusses how quick time really passes, has lots of jangling busy guitar backing acoustic guitar riffs.."

"Christopher Michael does a great job as a guitarist on the album (he played all acoustic and electric guitars) and has written a few songs that are worth hearing on the radio. That’s quite an accomplishment since there are only six songs on this release..."
"... would be hard to doubt that Christopher Michael would be getting equal radio-play with bands like Matchbox 20, The Goo Goo Dolls, and Lifehouse on Adult Alternative radio."

Ryan T. White

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By Rosemary Pratka
Special to The Morning Call
FROM: www.mcall.com/entertainment/music

CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL

"Christopher Michael also makes Easton his home (hes originally from Watchung, N.J.), and he, too, has released a debut EP.

Visions is a warm and radio friendly recording, with a sound that invites comparison to bands such as matchbox twenty. And although Michaels voice frequently calls to mind Billy Corgans, his songs are more in the singer-songwriter vein of John Mayer.

Help Me Now and Wide Awake are both big, wide-open love ballads with good harmonies and pretty strummed guitar.

The EP explores themes of loneliness and love, both desired and rejected. But it never gets bogged down in moping. Michael considers Visions his therapy and brings a positive vibe to the issues he writes about.

Michael changes pace a bit with the closing track, Hold Me, which has an indie garage-pop sound. Theres more reverb guitar, and Michaels singing has a good-natured snottiness.

Its always good to find a little dirt, even in the prettiest rock n roll.

By Rosemary Pratka
Special to The Morning Call

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"Recently CME Records send to us the latest release from multi instrumentalist Christopher Michael with the title "Visions". In this release Christopher includes six tracks and more than twenty five minutes of pure alternative rock. From the first track you can see that the stuff from Christopher fits perfectly with all the rock shows around the world. So this means that his music is easy listening and the songs are from three to five minutes. Christopher had written some really interesting and well worked compositions with a touch of pop music and this makes the whole project easy listening. For sure all the fans of pop / rock will adore the stuff from Christopher..."

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Christopher Michael: Visions

Genre:Rock/Atist Site www.christophermichaelmusic.com/ Rating by Kangar Radio ***

With the opening track Help me now to the last track hold me this isa great little CD and has little to improve on. The Lyrics are well thought and the music has a nice even flow to it. All in all this is a great debut disc by this singer. The guitars are well done and over all production of the disc is well made. Hi was a great track on this disc !!
-Andrew Allan