No Far Away
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
No Far Away is the first studio album by contemporary Christian musician Chris August. It was released on August 24, 2010 through Fervent Records, and produced by Chris August and Ed Cash. The album made it up to No. 1 on the Top Heatseekers list of Billboard Magazine and No. 7 on the Christian Albums chart.
Singles
The album has had three singles released. The first single, "Starry Night", was the best performing song, finishing atop the Hot Christian Songs and Christian AC chart Billboard charts. The second single, "7x70", finished at No. 7 on the Hot Christian Songs chart. "Battle", the third single, peaked at #23 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
Reception
Commercial
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Critical
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| CCM Magazine (Andy Argyrakis) |   [1] |
| Christian Music Zine (Tyler Hess) | A-[2] |
| Jay's Musik Blog (Jay Wright) |  [3] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout (Kevin Chamberlin) (Jen Rose) | [4][5] |
| New Release Tuesday (Kevin McNeese) | [6] |
CCM Magazine's Andy Argyrakis said that "his songwriting evokes a meditative sophistication".[1]
Christian Music Zine's Tyler Hess said that "it’s one of those albums that has you belting out the chorus, wishing you were driving solo in your car with one song, while during another song has you thinking completely about the LORD and who He is."[2]
Jay Wright of Jay's Musik Blog said that "Chris August's project No Far Away is an awesome debut! The album’s edifying lyrics, mixed with the beautiful music and Chris's crisp voice make this one of the highlights of Christian music releases this year. It is no wonder why Chris’s album is finding itself a chart-breaker with "Starry Night," and why his album has become on of the biggest best-sellers in Christian music this year. This is an awesome project!"[3]
Jesus Freak Hideout's Kevin Chamberlin said that "While No Far Away isn't bad, several of the tracks lose their appeal due to their over polished presentation."[4] In addition, Chamberlin wrote that "his voice wraps No Far Away on a strong note as the sound of triumph returns."[4]
Jesus Freak Hideout's Jen Rose said that "Unfortunately, No Far Away suffers at times from the over-produced 'Nashville sound,'" and it is "A shame really, because when the songs are stripped to their essence, August's talent really shines through. Because of this, the album turns out to be both mixed effort and a promising debut."[5] Furthermore, Rose wrote that "No Far Away weaves shimmering pop-rock melodies with a singer-writer's lyrical sensibilities and a smooth, unique voice. At its best, the eleven-song collection draws inspiration from soulful pop artists like Stevie Wonder and Gavin DeGraw"[5]
New Release Tuesday's Kevin McNesse said that "No Far Away is packed with great hooks, challenging and hope filled lyrics and Chris' voice just shines."[6] McNesse remarked that "Listening to No Far Away is like an riding an emotional rollercoaster. Chris tackles topics of love, faithfulness, hope, struggles, battles, personal pain and through it all, awe in God's plan and creations. The lyrics are all rooted in spiritual truths and you get a sense that there was actual growth and spiritual discovery as these songs were being written. It's that connection that Chris makes through an audio recording, as well as face to face, that gets me more excited about Chris August than any other new artist this year."[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You and I" | Chris August | 3:02 |
| 2. | "Battle" | August, Ian Eskelin | 2:59 |
| 3. | "Starry Night" | August, Ed Cash | 3:23 |
| 4. | "7x70" | August, Cash | 3:56 |
| 5. | "Want To Be Real" | August, Cash, Alli Rogers | 3:17 |
| 6. | "No Far Away" | August, Stephen Gause | 3:32 |
| 7. | "Loving You is Easy" | August, Ben Rector | 3:08 |
| 8. | "I'm Gonna Sing" | August, Jason Ingram | 3:31 |
| 9. | "It's Always Been You" | August, Cash, Shelby Cook, Ryan Edgar | 2:55 |
| 10. | "Winter Time" | August | 4:01 |
| 11. | "Canyons (Beautiful Noise)" | August, Eskelin | 3:46 |
| Total length: | 37:30 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Lost For Words" | August, Ingram | 3:25 |
| 13. | "Loving You is Easy" (Acoustic) | August, Rector | 3:10 |
| 14. | "Starry Night" (Acoustic) | August, Cash | 4:28 |
| 15. | "Battle, Pt. 2" | August, Eskelin | 3:00 |
| Total length: | 14:03 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Jesus, Savior" | August, Eskelin | 3:09 |
| 13. | "Come Now Our King" | August, Dave Barnes | 3:43 |
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[7] | 141 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[8] | 1 |
| US Christian Albums (Billboard)[9] | 7 |
References
- ^ a b Argyrakis, Andy (August 1, 2010). "Chris August: No Far Away (Word)". CCM Magazine. p. 46. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b Hess, Tyler (August 23, 2010). "Chris August – No Far Away (Review)". Christian Music Zine. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
- ^ a b Wright, Jay (December 18, 2010). "Chris August: No Far Away Review". Jay's Musik Blog. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
- ^ a b c Chamberlin, Kevin (August 22, 2010). "Chris August, "No Far Away" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
- ^ a b c Rose, Jen (August 22, 2010). "Chris August, "No Far Away" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
- ^ a b c McNeese, Kevin (December 21, 2010). "#2 Album Of 2010". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
- ^ "Chris August Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- ^ "Chris August Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "Chris August Chart History (Christian Albums)". Billboard.