Album Notes

A strange but bouncy ride through sometimes lush and melodic landscapes, with a few dips into the underbrush to peer momentarily at musics dark foliage.

'Rise' is the first full length effort from Chicago singer/ songwriter Robert Emmett. The songs offered here range from quirky pop tunes- strong, catchy hooks and absurd sounding lyrics- to somber, reflective numbers that contemplate inner-personal issues; with a few instrumentals and studio experiments in between.

Robert Emmett has been lurking around the fringes of the Chicago music since the early 1990's, most notably with the bands Mosquitohead and Thunk. Describing his music as "Pop music for weird people", "Savant Garde" or "Difficult Listening" depending on his mood, all his work does tend to tie together with a feel for the odd, the off-beat, the absurd, audacious, or just plain weird.

Citing 'I am the Walrus' era Beatles as one of his earliest, and strongest influences- as well as early Pink Floyd, and modern acts such as Flaming Lips, Camper Van Beethoven, Robyn Hitchcock and Radiohead- the songs that come out tend to be very melodic, with strong pop sensabilities- but with a tinge of something darker, maybe even sinister, bubbling just under the surface.