Not Too Far Away

2018 studio album by Joan Armatrading

Not Too Far Away

Studio album by

Joan Armatrading

Released

18 May 2018

Studio

Bumpkin Studios, England

Length

39:22

Label

BMG

Producer

Joan Armatrading

Joan Armatrading chronology

Me Myself I World Tour
(2016)

Not Too Far Away
(2018)

Consequences
(2021)

Not Too Far Away is the nineteenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, and was released on 18 May 2018.^[1] Armatrading produced the album herself, arranged the strings and plays and programmes all instruments.

Background

Armatrading signed to BMG in 2018, and this was her first album for the label.^[2] She announced touring dates for the album through her website. The tour commenced on 27 May 2018 in the US and continued in the UK from 10 September 2018.^[3]

Reception

AllMusic reviewer Timothy Monger noted Armatrading's "heartfelt melodies", "quality songs" and "smartly crafted [...] pop" and praised her "consistent creative expression", giving special mention to the tracks "I Like It When We're Together" and "This Is Not That". He concluded by giving the album four out of five stars, calling Armatrading's achievements "genuinely impressive".^[1]

ON Magazine's David Schuster called Not Too Far Away "an astonishing album, with beautifully written songs", and "exquisite". He gave the album nine out of ten and suggested that, following this album, Armatrading should be considered for a Brit Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.^[4]

PopMatters described the album as "vibrant, perky and totally committed, characterized by rock nous and pop sensibility".^[5]

Digital Journal called the album "compelling" and a "well-crafted musical project", drawing attention to Armatrading's "sultry vocals" – which the reviewer referred to as "crystalline and bluesy". The album was given an A rating.^[6]

Track listing

"I Like It When We're Together" – 3:37
"Still Waters" – 4:13
"No More Pain" – 3:36
"Cover My Eyes" – 3:54
"Invisible (Blue Light)" – 3:56
"Not Too Far Away" – 4:29
"Any Place" – 3:58
"Always in My Dreams" – 3:53
"This Is Not That" – 3:32
"Loving What You Hate" – 4:14

Personnel

Musicians

Joan Armatrading – vocals, guitars, drum programming, instrumentation, string arrangements
City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra – orchestra
Richard Hein – conductor
Andrew Skeet – orchestrator

Production

Producer: Joan Armatrading
Engineer: Joan Armatrading
Arranger: Joan Armatrading
Mixing: Mark Wallis
Master engineer: Mark Wallis
Orchestra contractor: James Fitzpatrick
Photography: Joel Anderson

Charts

Chart (2018)	Peak position
Scottish Albums (OCC)^[7]	11
UK Albums (OCC)^[8]	30

References

^ ^a ^b "Not Too Far Away – Joan Armatrading – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
^ "About Joan". Joan Armatrading's website. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
^ "2018 Tour Dates USA". Joan Armatrading's website. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
^ "Not Too Far Away by Joan Armatrading – Album Review. David Schuster might have circled around the singer-songwriter's 21 album career, but he's mesmerised by this masterful collection that demands radio airtime". 12 June 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
^ "Joan Armatrading Keeps Love and Affection Close at Hand on 'Not Too Far Away'". 6 June 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
^ "Review: Joan Armatrading will blow you away with 'Not Too Far Away' album (Includes first-hand account)". 12 May 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 May 2018.