Get Your Music on Amazon!
Get Your Music - and everything else - on Amazon! All purchases made on Amazon through this link earn a commission for Jesusfreakhideout.com!

JFH Music Review


Chris August, The Upside of Down
CLICK COVER TO ENLARGE

Chris August
The Upside of Down



Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 14 tracks: 52 minutes, 40 seconds
Street Date: August 21, 2012


Dubbed by some as one of the best new singer/songwriters just a couple years ago, Chris August took the industry by storm with the smash success that was 2010's "Starry Night." With the rest of No Far Away boasting a similar quality of feel-good melodies, Chris August took off on Fervent Records, and the endearing factor to No Far Away certainly had plenty of potential attached for future hopes. But with radio success comes the need to follow up quickly, and The Upside of Down is his answer.

The gospel-style inklings of "Amen" and the Bee Gees-esque "Let the Music Play" showcase a couple new areas of experimentation, but most of The Upside of Down sticks to one general sound; majoring far more on the softer side of the spectrum, those who especially enjoyed August's softer side with songs like "Want to Be Real" and "Winter Time" will especially appreciate The Upside of Down's methods, even if listeners are treated mostly to pianos and acoustic guitars without much else (save for some light percussion to add radio-ready potential). While the title track and the preceding single "Center Of It" seem to give the impression of a regularly upbeat sophomore record in line with expectations, things slow down considerably after track two and rarely ever pick up. The end result is an unfortunately tiring and unexciting one, and while August's voice lends itself quite well to his sound as believable and caring, it doesn't save the overall draining effect these fourteen tracks have.

Another major difference here not present in No Far Away is the lack of inventive fervor in the lyrical substance. More and more radio pop artists keep falling into this hole, and August seems to be the latest; choosing to leave very little to the imagination, each song has very little to offer beyond its face value, even if that said value is at least praiseworthy. "Restore," for example, is meant to be a heartfelt reflection on the eroding state of commitment in marriage, but nothing about the song inquires further or gives the listener anything to think about besides just listening to August state the facts ("nobody's growing old together/we've made it easy just to quit/love has become a negative percentage/why do we bother to commit?"). Without discrediting the timeliness of the song's theme, the problem is not that these facts he sings are false, but that they aren't relayed in the song in any artistic way. "This Side of Heaven" similarly lists off issues Christians can get needlessly worked up over, "A Little More Jesus" tells of the never-ceasing need to become more like Christ in our everyday living, and other tracks besides these follow the same formula: August telling it like it is, but without any musical interest or compelling wordplay to strengthen the overall effect.

It could be reasonably argued that The Upside of Down is meant to be a more convicting and intimate release to make the listener apply lessons to their own spiritual walk, and that was undoubtedly the intention all along. Instead, however, the listener too often feels nagged and even lectured with a bland musical landscape as a backdrop, and with a few somewhat exceptional tracks, this leads to a very low longterm enjoyment or replay value. Chris August is a more talented songwriter and musician than The Upside of Down lets him show, and hopefully we'll see the more lively, and artistically excellent, third effort on the horizon.

- Review date: 8/20/12, written by Roger Gelwicks of Jesusfreakhideout.com



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Check out JFH's Lloyd in his first-ever childrens book!

 

. Record Label: Fervent Records
. Album length: 14 tracks: 52 minutes, 40 seconds
. Street Date: August 21, 2012
. Buy It: iTunes
. Buy It: Amazon Music (MP3)
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. Center Of It (3:04)
  2. The Upside Of Down (3:46)
  3. Amen (4:51)
  4. This Side Of Heaven (2:58)
  5. Restore (4:00)
  6. Let There Be Light (3:38)
  7. I Believe (3:47)
  8. 1989 (3:53)
  9. Unashamed Of You (3:20)
  10. A Little More Jesus (4:07)
  11. Let The Music Play (3:45)
  12. Water Into Wine (4:12)
  13. Meant To Be (3:44)
  14. Truth Is Still True (3:44)

 

Leave a Comment

 

 

go to main Album review page
go to Album review archive

 

 

                 
Check out JFH's Lloyd in his first-ever childrens book!

Search JFH



This Friday, July 25, 2025
ALBUMS
Anchor & Braille New Mexico [Equal Vision]
B. Tee Told You [Syntax]
Bride Scarecrow Messiah CD Re-Release [Girder]
Homesick Prodigals Different Good (independent)
KDNS After Eden [Syntax]
Olivia Lane Songs About Jesus (Deluxe Edition) [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard TASHA [Motown Gospel]
Kevi Morse Kingston We Winning [Syntax]
Pulpit Vomit Hospital Lens [Rottweiler]
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno Dance for Jesus - EP (independent)
Taylor & Co Worship Breakthrough - EP (independent)
Josh Wright LEAD (independent)

SINGLES
abenezer i was lost - Single [Gotee]
Sho Baraka Still Got Faith (ft. L3xdivine) - Single [Syntax]
Gracie Binion Easy To Please - Single [BEC]
Katty Camargo Shine Upon Me - Single (independent)
The CCC Collective Thankful - Single (independent)
C4 Crotona Mr. Gritty - Single [Syntax]
EJ Swavv & Nickwit2Ks Growth - Single [Syntax]
Forrest Frank GOD'S GOT MY BACK - Single [River House / 10K]
Andrew Gonoude Closer To You - Single (independent)
Noah Paul Harrison Oh Lord My God (Live) - Single [Bethel]
J.Solo All I Have (ft. Kaboose & MotionPlus) - Single [Syntax]
Kings Kaleidoscope + Kings Kaleidoscope Hymns Amazing Grace - Single [BEC]
Tasha Layton Life In Me - Single [BEC]
Lecrae Bless You (feat. Torey D'Shaun) - Single [Reach]
TobyMac God Did It (feat. Jamie MacDonald) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Hunter Plake Down to Earth - Single [BEC]
QEW JOYXFIX (ft. Stevie Rizo) - Single [Syntax]
Naomi Raine God Will Work It Out - Single [Tribl]
Saints in Exile Bad Vibes - Single [Syntax]
Xander Sallows infinite - Single [DREAM]
Silent Reflection Left Me for Dead - Single [Syntax]
John Stratton The Body and the Blood - Single [Pure Mosaic Services]
Regina Vandereijk You're the Light - Single (independent)
Joel Vaughn Feel It - Single [DREAM]
Zach Williams Killed A Man - Single [Provident]
Zauntee Jesus Down In Florida - Single [BEC]

VINYL
Bride Scarecrow Messiah Vinyl [Girder]

DVD
Jordan Smith The People's Hymnal DVD [Gaither]

This Saturday, July 26, 2025
SINGLES
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno What Would You Do? - Single (independent)

Next Friday, August 1, 2025
ALBUMS
Crash Rickshaw Big Sir - EP [Velvet Blue]
McKamey Legacy Holding to Truth [Horizon]
Ordained Thunder Roar [Girder]
V1 Worship Archives [DREAM Worship]

SINGLES
Dan Bremnes Human - Single [Curb]
Lauren Daigle Let It Be A Hallelujah - Single [Centricity]
Sleeping At Last Believe - Single (independent)

VINYL
Disciple Attack! (Limited Run Vinyl) Vinyl [Girder]



For all release dates, click here!
 

Join honey and save on online purchases!
Get all of JFH's indie compilation now totally free!
Check out depositphotos for royalty free images