Chris North - Near Far All We Are

Based out of Jamaica Plain, MA Chris North has released his debut effort titled Near Far All We Are. The song is a ambient, mellow mixture of singer-songwriter ingenue and delicate, focused guitar rhythms that are completely organic and doesn't feel the need to rely on extraneous production and all the bells and whistles that usually require a great deal of focus and concentration. All you need to do is focus on the simplicity of the music and allow it to take you away.

The disc gets underway with "I Gave Life To Love", a calm, breezy track that features Chris's delicate and passionate voice that runs rampant throughout every crevice of the song and relies on the power of the acoustic guitar to carry it along, which has a slight folk influence to it as well that helps it stick out to the listener and give them extra incentive to listen to the rest of the album. The remix of the song is a neat aperitif that gives the listener a different interpretation of the song and presents a singer-songwriter who thinks in a different light than other emerging musicians out there today. An instrumental track "Crane Beach - Atlantic Ocean" is essentially a soundscape of the beach that is a genius way to create an intermission that acts as a great transition point for the rest of the disc to take shape.

The second half of the record consists of "The Nature of Love", an earthy, folk based tune that features exquisite harmonies and deeply personal lyrics that add a great touch to an already well toned and defined album heard here so far. "US 1 North" is a calmly focused tune that relies upon deeply personal lyrics and simple yet elegant instrumentation to deliver Chris's musical message eloquently to the listener. A remix of the song that preceded this one presents another point of view from Chris that allows him to have another person in the room to guide him along and offer some positive vibes to guide him along throughout the rest of the track. The final track is another soundscape track to close the disc out, "Crescent Beach - Pacific Ocean" that is a warm and inviting reminder of everything that we've experienced on this album and how relaxing and escapist this musical adventure was, from the moment we hit 'Play' to the second it concluded, a worthwhile listen all the way around. It takes some time for singer-songwriters to develop a underlying theme to go along with their music, you can't just pick a random background to go along with your music. You have to make sure to get it right so that your audience will be able to follow and identify who you are just by the sound of your voice. Chris definitely has the correct musical formula for allowing his listeners to get a sense of who he is as a musician and what he can offer you musically for your enjoyment.

To sum it all up, a great effort from Chris North, who has brought his own unique musicianship and has developed an impression on his listeners as to who he is and why he is different from the current crop of singer-songwriters making it out there today.

                                                                                                                            Album Score: 3.5/5

Track Listing:

1. I Gave Life to Love
2. I Gave Life to Love (Many Mansions Remix)
3. Crane Beach - Atlantic Ocean
4. The Nature of Love
5. US 1 North
6. The Nature of Love (Animal Hospital Remix)
7. Crescent Beach - Pacific Ocean