Goss' voice is a bit too whiny and flat, and the music, unfortunately, often matches his pipes.

Now here's an inconsistent release. When I first heard tracks from it on Sonicbids, I liked them; problem is, I only listened to a couple songs.

Rise is from D.C. singer/songwriter Tom Goss; the fact that he's an openly gay ex-seminary student is neither here nor there, yet for some reason was included in the promo materials. OK, great; doesn't affect me or the music in the least.

The six songs on the disc range from shout anthems (the intolerable opening track "Morning Sun"; I wouldn't even include this on a disc, much less choose it to open a CD) to gentle acoustics (the title track; a very nice and inviting singer-songwriter number that is nothing like its predecessor) to weak, Dave Matthews-aping, harmonica-laden offerings ("Come Around"; the refrain is actually pretty catchy) to mopey, piano-driven tunes ("A Thousand Times Before") to overly emotive vocals ("Bed of Clouds"), closing with the respectable acoustic track "King of Something Right."

Goss' voice is a bit too whiny and flat, and the music, unfortunately, often matches his pipes. Batting a 1:3 average for this listener, Rise leaves me with but two of six tracks to recommend. One can hope that, on future releases, Goss will build on his strengths and learn to walk away from the weak spots; only time will tell. C- | Laura Hamlett

RIYL: Music that is all over the place

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