This is a review of "New Situation" recorded by The Rise. The review was written by Richard Garnett in 2005.

The Rise provide a dose of familiar baggy indie guitar dance crossover on this debut CD - think Manchester 1990 if that description was too confusing. It’s a familiarity helped by the band's accomplished sound and not least lead vocalist Andy Dixon adopting a style that blends Mansun and Flowered Up to a tee. Musically it’s somewhere similar with a fair sprinkling of the Happy Mondays and Welsh rockers The 60ft Dolls. However there is still enough contemporary posturing to avoid being a simple revival trip.

Opener “New Situation” is definitely the strongest and most memorable candidate with a cool vibe and “pointless but that’s not the point” lyrics e.g. “I’m gonna take you down” and “We gotta nuuuu situayyyshun”... it’s not for understanding it’s for foot tapping man! “Easy Ryder” is not a tribute to an influence as maybe suggested by the title but it could quite easily be with more of the same including a “cool as” opening drum roll with a Madchester bass line. “Stand Up Straight” closes the CD with a Rolling Stones riff and a replacement of the baggy groove for something a little straighter. If the band have never listened to The 60ft Dolls much ignored and excellent album “The Big 3” they probably should and make sure they are sat down with a stiff drink because the similarities are spooky.

In all a promising and well executed, if not a little retro demo.