BY: DIGITAL WAX MEDIA STAFF

 

Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist John Splithoff officially released his long awaited full-length album, Far From Here on Friday.

 

Twelve tracks of smooth, genre-blending pop comprise Far From Here, which follows the release of ear-worm singles “Plateau” and “Same Page” earlier in the year. The album exhibits the many facets of Splithoff’s unique artistry, which draws from the musician’s extensive professional history, including a background in jazz music which seems to subtly inform the material throughout Far From Here.

 

 

 

 

The production value of the album as a whole is particularly noteworthy, with punchy, live instrumentation balanced for incredibly effective dynamics throughout. Far From Here is one of those rare projects that is artistically viable not just in spite of, but in part as a result of, the inherent accessibility of the material presented.

 

From meditative instrumentals like “Dancing on the Cliffs” and slow-jam ballads like “Same Page,” to danceable cuts such as “Oh Betty” and island-tinged closing track “Marooned” – featuring Blue Note recording artist Maya Delilah, who recently released a new single of her own –  the album covers a variety of stylistic ground while retaining its cohesiveness as a singular statement of artistic intent.

 

Splithoff brings certain edge to tracks such as “Way Back,” “Tangled,” and “Magenta (Days Go By)” by way of inclusion of electric guitar as a primary presence within the tracks’ instrumentals. These types of tunes inject the album with a healthy dose of rock/funk vibes while never straying too far from the overall  r&b/pop/soul informed aesthetic of the album.

 

 

With regard to the lyrical content of the record, Splithoff himself notes that the notion of change and the shifting of perspectives over time were concepts by which Far From Here drew a great deal of inspiration narratively.

 

“Change is the main theme of this album. There’s been so much movement in my life the past few years that I often forget to take a step back and consider how much has changed,” the musician said.

 

“Working on this album at my home and in hotel rooms on tour across the world made me look at this music differently. The record is a lot like looking through an old photo album – reminding me of who I was, who I am, and gives me some inspiration for who I hope to be going forward.”

 

With Splithoff having developed a reputation primarily as a behind-the-scenes collaborator to assist in bringing life to the artistic vision of others, Far From Here serves as a fittingly eclectic and high-quality coming out party of sorts for the multi-faceted artist as he presents a creative statement that is purely his own.

 

To commemorate the release, Splithoff has also released a brand new music video for the new album’s title track, “Far From Here,” which is currently available to stream via YouTube.

Far From Here is available now through Virgin Records and can be purchased in vinyl formats or streamed on all major platforms.

 

Photo: Far From Here artwork courtesy of Virgin Records.

 

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