Running Back To You, Chris Sligh

You may remember him as the bushy-haired smack talker from American Idol’s season six. But Chris Sligh has broken through and releases his debut solo album Running Back To You. Running Back To You starts out with an up tempo track called “Arise.” “Arise” has tons of melody crafted with buzzing bass lines, sugary synths and pounding snares creating this exuberant glow. It definitely could perk you up and is an interesting start. Will this perhaps be the tone setter of this disc?

Unlike the opening track on this release, “Cry Tonight” is a deep ballad kicking off with a violin intro then goes gently into the somber lyrics. It’s a nice retrospective take on life’s lessons and it shows with the usage of acoustic guitar, high hats and lulled piano intertwined on this song. He sings it though as if it was a power ballad and not a traditional standard which is quite refreshing. Next was the hit single from this album, “Empty Me.” This song starts light and airy with whispered vocals backed by keyboards and guitar then rises up into something of an adult contemporary pop rock vibe rumbling out. It’s not too harsh, nor is it too wimpy either giving us a great message of how someone could change their life.

Sligh shies away from the dulcimer tones and rocks out on “Something Beautiful.” It’s funky; yet could bop your head and sway your body to the beat. It’s extremely mainstream and radio-friendly and could be the second single off of this disc. While Chris showed us that he could rock, “In A Moment” gave us his sentimental side as its filled with keyboards, strings and heavy drum breaks. This most definitely could be a single on Christian radio or light rock formats. He continued on this path with “Potential” as his smooth voice brushes against streams of keyboards, drums and bass. This could be the third single off of this album proving Simon Cowell wrong.

“Loaded Gun” shows his pop music sensibilities as he bellows out his rich tenor backed by an accompaniment of cello, violin and upright bass creating something eclectic similar to Justin Timberlake’s solo efforts. He gets sonically-induced on “Love Is Raining Down” as it’s full of synths, electronic drum breaks and whirling bass grooves. This sounds like many of the recent power-pop groups that have been popular lately. Running Back To You finishes out with a sweet and safe stripped-down ballad entitled “Vessel.” This could be a song that could be played at a contemporary worship service or Bible study as it invokes his love for God. Chris Sligh’s range is phenomanal as he flies around all spectrums and could have many of these tracks on both secular and Christian radio. Running Back To You is a solid pop rock disc and whether or not you’re a fan of American Idol, you should put this in your collection.