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Genre:		Pop, Folk/Acoustic, Instrumental, Christmas
For fans of:		David Wilcox, James Taylor, Rich Mullins, Steven Curtis Chapman, John Mayer
Label:		eb+flo records

	Buy 'em here! Snapshots: Live and Fan Favorites Short Term Memories Run the Earth … Watch the Sky The Living Room Sessions

Chris Rice is amused by the world around him. Not a laugh-out-loud amused. It's more like an inward smile of inspiration, entertaining stories of people and their hope-filled dreams. These musings of Rice brought about a new record, Amusing. "My hope is that this music will not only reach and encourage people who already believe in what I do, but also deliberately reach out with my music and life to people across a much broader spectrum. This is a record full of optimism, hope and love for life, a message for everybody."

Rice has this freedom in a new label partnership with eb+flo records in conjunction with INO Records. Rice has been a partner in eb+flo with producer friend Monroe Jones and Ken Lewis but felt the label's direction fit his own desire for a new musical and lyrical direction. "I love what I get to do, and I don't want to forsake what I'm doing. I'm ignoring the imaginary boundaries often placed around a songwriter, just to see what I come up with. The result has been a surprising mix of songs about my faith, falling in love and my usual themes of time and nature."

This new project Amusing is about a mission, a heart for humanity. "I just want my music to communicate with people, be a part of what's out there and to lay my work out alongside other philosophies. My heart is for humanity," says Rice. "It's a freedom that says keep doing what you're doing but make sure it's available to everyone."

Known to write deeply personal lyrics, Rice points out, "They're not always my story. They're not autobiographical. As I experience life, people and friendships, there are so many topics to write about, so many things to approach and communicate in a song. I found myself really excited because the sky is the limit."

New songs like "Lemonade" and "When Did You Fall in Love" showcase what Rice talks about—purely fun songs about discovering new love in an old romantic comedy sort of way. "Again, it's not autobiographical; it's me approaching a subject that I haven't written about before and it's been fun to find a unique way to approach the theme."

Touching another facet of relationships is the deeply heartfelt "Breakfast Table," which stems from many conversations Rice has had with people who have lost loved ones. "Everyone has experienced losing someone, and I wanted to write this to bring hope of reuniting someday. I hope it stirs a longing in the listener to say 'What's that going to be like?'" With "The Final Move," Rice relates life to a chess match sharing his credo in simple and believable terms with an optimistic look at our questions about existence and an often-hard life.

Rice once again writes about heaven, nature and his dreams as heard in "The Best Song Ever." "There is something in us that is aware of perfection, of a bigger thing that we are a part of. To tap into that in a song is huge to me. We're all in a sense still waiting for the best song ever."

The album's first radio single, "Love Like Crazy," features the "King of Twang" Duane Eddy and powers forward in its message that love is supposed to be risky. "Let's look at Jesus' example. If we love like Jesus did, it will get attention. The world's supposed to say that you're crazy to love that way; you don't get anything out of it."

To Rice, the title "Amusing" fits the whole record. A word that doesn't just mean hilarity and laughing, it's closer to the thoughts and daydreams that come when considering the ironies of life. "It's the kind of funny that I appreciate more than anything else. Silly at times but thoughtful, too, they make you think a little longer on the inside and with a small chuckle that says, 'Wow.'"

On Amusing, Chris Rice shares his songwriting gift with anyone who enjoys songs on love, heaven and longing for perfection. "All along I've been testing these songs out on my friends, and they are so excited about them. They laugh and cheer through different parts, and I think, 'I can actually do this.' I've never explored whether I even have it in me to write this kind of stuff. I'm finding from people's responses that they can really identify. You sow your seeds and you never know what's going to take or where it's going to take."

It's thoughts like these in songs on Amusing that set Chris Rice apart from other songwriters and artists. He's not afraid of questions. He's not afraid to express his faith. He's not even afraid to tackle a little romance. And he finds it all so amusing.

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