Entertainment One Music
Pop, 2013

No Matter How Far is basically a filler album for folks who would miss David Archuleta while he goes and do his Mormon mission thing. Most of the tracks are actually taken from international special editions of Mr Archuleta’s previous albums, with the odd new track here and there. The bad news here is that the songs here are all very similar-sounding, of the slow plodding music for grannies variety.

Love Don’t Hate is the closest this album has to an uptempo song, but even then, it moves like it’s injected with tranquilizer darts so that the old folks at the senior home won’t get too excited and break a hip. Wait starts out with some deceptive electronic sounds that have me thinking that it would be some dance track, but no, it soon morphs into another sedate middle-aged ballad. The songs here are all safe, G-rated, and hopelessly devoid of any memorable trait. Mr Archuleta has a smooth and pleasant voice, but the production values seem to be on the cheap side and the songs all seem to be taken from bargain bins.

It’s quite sad, actually. How old is this lad? I wonder whether he actually likes singing these geriatric ballads that could age the listener at least twenty years by the time the last track Forevermore (zzzzz…) ends. Surely the people behind this album could have slipped in a fun tune or two here. No Matter How Far is just old, and I can only hope these people stop before they turn poor Mr Archuleta into Clay Aiken.