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.
| No Far Away | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 24, 2010 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Contemporary Christian music | |||
| Length | 37:30 | |||
| Label | Fervent | |||
| Producer | Chris August | |||
| Chris August chronology | ||||
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| Singles from No Far Away | ||||
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Singles
editThe 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 No. 23 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.
Reception
editCritical
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| CCM Magazine |   [1] |
| Christian Music Zine | A−[2] |
| Cross Rhythms | (10/10)[3] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout |  [4] [5] |
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]
Cross Rhythms' Stephen Luff wrote that "It's hard to find favourites as this album is simply outstanding. It is a bit of a slow burner, but once it gets under your skin, it does not let go."[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]
Track listing
edit| 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 |
Personnel
edit- Chris August – vocals, backing vocals, keyboards, programming, acoustic guitars, additional electric guitars
- Ed Cash – additional keyboards, additional programming, additional acoustic guitars, additional electric guitars, additional backing vocals
- Chris Lacorte – electric guitars
- Mike Payne – additional electric guitars
- Adrian Disch – bass
- Jacob Schrodt – drums, additional programming
- David Davidson – strings
- Josh Bailey – additional backing vocals (7)
- Sarah Reeves – backing vocals (10)
Production
edit- Josh Bailey – executive producer
- Ed Cash – producer, engineer
- Chris August – co-producer, additional recording
- Scott Cash – assistant engineer
- F. Reid Shippen – mixing
- Reto Peter – mixing (7, 8, 10, 11)
- Dan Shike – mastering at Tone and Volume Mastering (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Jason Jenkins – A&R administration
- Katherine Petillo – creative director
- Matt Lehman – design
- Laura Dart – photography
- Dryve Artist Management – management
Charts
edit| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[6] | 141 |
| US Christian Albums (Billboard)[7] | 7 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[8] | 1 |
References
edit- ^ a b Argyrakis, Andy (August 1, 2010). "Chris August: No Far Away (Word)". CCM Magazine. p. 46. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
- ^ a b Hess, Tyler (August 23, 2010). "Chris August – No Far Away (Review)". Christian Music Zine. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b Luff, Stephen (June 2, 2011). "Review: Chris August - No Far Away". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Chris August Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ "Chris August Chart History (Christian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ "Chris August Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2021.