| Not Without Love | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 19, 2008 | |||
| Genre | CCM,acoustic pop,blues,Christian rock | |||
| Length | 41:34[1] | |||
| Label | Inpop | |||
| Jimmy Needham chronology | ||||
| ||||
Not Without Love is the second studio album fromCCM musicianJimmy Needham. It was released on August 19, 2008 throughInpop Records in the United States. The album's lead single "A Breath or Two" was released prior to the album, and reached No. 11 on Christiancontemporary hit radio.
Similar to his last album,Speak, Jimmy Needham has frequently been compared toJason Mraz in musical style, as well asJohn Mayer andMarc Broussard.[1][2]Not Without Love's main genre isalternative CCM,[3] although Needham takes influence from other styles such asrock andblues with a "jazzy pop" sound.[2]
The lyrical songwriting inNot Without Love has often been noted as having "clever wordplay" similar topop/jazz musicianJason Mraz.[2] Needham was newly married when writing the album, and two songs were written about his wife Kelly Needham. "Firefly" is a lighthearted, "ragtime style" song about marriage,[1] while "Unfailing Love (Kelly's Song)" is a ballad that Needham sang at his wedding, originally written as a proposal to Kelly.[4]
In promotion of the album,Not Without Love's first single, "A Breath or Two", was released to radios in mid-2008. The album was subsequently released on August 19, 2008 in the U.S. under theInpop label.[5] It debuted at number 8 on both the Christian ACSoundscan and Overall Christian Digital charts.[4] Later in the year, Needham guested onChristian rock bandBarlowGirl's Million Voices Tour along withBrooke Barrettsmith; the tour began on September 12 inHouston, Texas, and ran until mid-November 2008.[4] "A Breath or Two" also garnered success, reaching #13 onR&R's ChristianCHR radio chart by the week of September 4, and reached a peak of at least #11 through early 2009.[6] The album's second single, "Forgiven and Loved", was released early in the year near the same time.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Christianity Today |  [8] |
| Cross Rhythms |  [9] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout | [10] |
Not Without Love received generally positive reviews from critics.AllMusic reviewer Jared Johnson noted that Jimmy Needham "stepped up his game" with his second release, having betterproduction quality than his debut album; Johnson claimed that "Christian music lovers need a lot more like this".[3]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Come Around" | Jimmy Needham | 3:25 |
| 2. | "A Breath or Two" | Colin Bates, Needham | 3:23 |
| 3. | "Hurricane" | Jason Ingram, Needham | 3:59 |
| 4. | "Firefly" | Needham | 2:36 |
| 5. | "Forgiven and Loved" | Needham | 3:29 |
| 6. | "Before and After" | Ingram, Needham | 3:29 |
| 7. | "Tossed By the Wind" | Needham | 3:56 |
| 8. | "Unfailing Love (Kelly's Song)" | Needham | 3:56 |
| 9. | "Rend" | Needham | 3:24 |
| 10. | "The Author" | Scott Davis, Needham | 3:20 |
| 11. | "The Great Love Story" | Needham | 4:48 |
| 12. | "Not Without Love (The Benediction)" | Needham | 1:49 |