Chris Chafin – “Make It Through”
Chris Chafin – “Make It Through” – Single Review
Alrighty…so…if you read my previous review on Chris Chafin’s tunes back in the summer of this year, you know I certainly appreciate the fact that he’s been givin’ this music thang the ol’ proverbial college try. He achieved many stellar results on his album Music Like Before, and from what I understand, he’s been encouraged enough to continue on his path outta the IT department and into this new passion of his, and I obviously dig that. Pass or fail, regardless of what the results of anything I’d have to say, or anyone else for that matter, I’m always gonna be in support of people finding their way into the art of making music, or back into it in the case of someone like Chris, who got his start way back in his high-school days long ago. Now he’s into the rhythm and doin’ his thing, workin’ on a brand-new album already.
“Make It Through” is his latest tune, and he’s enlisted a wealth of talent far & wide across the internet to help bring this cut to life. You’d listen to it and certainly feel like it’s an electric-based single, but deep in the mix you’ll find Chafin on the acoustic guitar. Do I have advice for him on that? Not really. It just depends on what kind of artist he ultimately wants to be and how he wants to present his music – right now as it stands, if you were to judge by a track like this one, you’d have to put him in the songwriter category overall – “Make It Through” plays like he’s taken much more of a hands-off approach. There ain’t nothing wrong with that of course, there are tons of people out there that do that – but you really do have to wrestle a bit with the idea that it’s still your music when you’re not playing the starring role. If you can accept that, and that’s ultimately what you want YOUR music to be, then have at it hoss I say. Chafin’s ended up becoming a bit more of a coordinator when it comes to this particular tune right here.
There can be upsides and downsides to a method like that. Obviously the main positive, is the fact that hey – we’re now living in a world where “Make It Through” EXISTS and you have access to it online – and that is a spectacular thing y’all. It wasn’t all that long ago still where a task like this wouldn’t have been way more of a challenge to accomplish than the internet makes it become today in the ol’ modern day era. So that’s great! Secondly, the ability to work with a crew of ace musicians and have access to that, even as a professed part-timer, is nothing short of amazing in my personal opinion – that’s one of the coolest things the internet has ever done for anyone out there with a dream in their pocket. You’ll hear a stunning range of talents all throughout “Make It Through” from the music to the microphone, and I’d have to imagine that if you’re Chafin listening to all this come back to ya through the ether of the internet, that’s gotta be pretty mind blowing to experience from the original concept to the final results.
Where things become more problematic in regards to a more hands-off approach or playing that songwriter role instead of the starring one, is that you have to somewhat accept there’s going to be a fairly natural disconnect at times when someone else is singing your words, or playing your music. In the case of “Make It Through” – when the vocals began, I felt like things were gonna get real dicey on this song, real quick in that regard…at the start of it all, it sounds like someone singing the words, as opposed to feeling them…and that can make a massive difference in what we hear, all said & done. While I’d be the first to tell ya that at her most intense, the lady Chris has got singing this song is a true force to be reckoned with and a complete powerhouse on the microphone, you can still feel a bit of that unevenness that comes along with someone not being as attached to the words as they would be if they had written them themselves at points on “Make It Through” as well. When she’s into it, she’s nothing short of incredible. My advice here is simple – don’t be too rigid when it comes to what’s written…if a singer comes back to you with a ‘well what about if we sing this instead of that’ – always go with whatever ‘that’ is, regardless of whether or not the words end up being changed. Vocally, singers always know what they’re capable of and where they’re most effective. Anyhow. Maybe that could have been the case, maybe it never came up at all – I don’t know – but I did feel the ‘songwriter-y’ aspect of this tune, which is usually the result of a bit of distance that occurs between those involved in playing it, and those that wrote it. For the most part, I felt like she did an outstanding job of working with the material that she had and executes like a seasoned professional. When she turns it on, believe me, you couldn’t miss it – she’s as dynamic as it gets on the microphone and has an exceptional mix of true grit, soul & power in her voice.
Musically, there are no issues at all here that I can find. I like the gentle introduction and how it illuminates the way in…and as it continues to build, “Make It Through” kind of ends up reminding me of early 90s Heart when it comes right down to it – ain’t nothing wrong with that. Guitars have a ton of spark to’em and fuel the energy of this song as it carries forward. It’s designed as an 80s Rock ballad, so there’s that…I think Chris already knows the uphill battle he’d be facing based on that assessment alone – we’re far from being in the 80s at this point, so we have to acknowledge it’s harder to get a tune like this out there into the world than it would have been back when that was the predominant sound on the radio.
Lyrically…I feel like there are positives to be found, but there is also plenty of room for Chris to continue to evolve as well. He’s gotta be mindful of the metering and what would make something more challenging for a singer to sing, and much more cautious of writing things that we’ve heard plenty of throughout the history of music on up. Stuff like “It’s time to leave the past behind/set yourself free from those chains” for example…I’m gonna make the argument that Chafin has more in him than that. What chains? What’s that mean? Don’t get me wrong – I know what he’s referring to, and I get it – but considering that this metaphor has already been used countless times before – and it’s ‘songwriter-y’ – I’d say scrap that, and be REAL with your audience Chris. There’s no reason to say things like others have said them already – say what YOU have to say, the way that YOU would say it, you follow me? That’s what connects people to music, especially in today’s world, whether or not a song sounds like it’s still livin’ in the 80s. Chafin’s heart is in the right place – he’s writing about the struggles of addiction, which is a concept he explored on “I’m Back” from his album Music Like Before as well – so clearly with this coming up a second time in as many experiences on our side of the speakers, we come to understand that this is an issue that’s close to home for Chris that he wants to write about. He’s sweet in his lyrical plea to find enough strength to “Make It Through” and battle those demons, whatever they may be, not only for the person that’s the subject of this song, but also for the people that surround them as well. It’s always the people left behind that are affected for life when things go sideways – so whatever you can do to right the course and find that better path to your tomorrows ahead, that’s ideal. It ain’t easy, as Chafin knows…addiction is one of the toughest things to overcome, but the inspiration & encouragement that a song like this could make in a person’s life to find that strength they need, is a priceless gift you have to admire Chris for giving. This world could use a whole lot more Chris Chafins in it than the one we currently have, so don’t get me wrong, I might have advice and opinions like I always do, but ultimately I respect where he’s coming from & appreciate that guys like this dude are out there.
Find music by Chris Chafin at Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/44D5ZD7meUOckXQqN6sa7j
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