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Faith Hill Album: “Fireflies”
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Release Date:2005-08-02
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Type:Unknown
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Genre:Country
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Label:Warner Bros.
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Explicit Lyrics:No
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UPC:093624879466
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Review - :
It's clear from the cover photo on 2005's {^Fireflies} that {$Faith Hill} is beating a retreat from her half-baked, half-successful 2002 {\pop} diva makeover, {^Cry}. Not that the album was bad, or even an outright flop -- it just failed to do what it was intended to do, which was to make {$Faith Hill} a true rival to {$Shania Twain}, where her {\pop} success was as great as her {\country} following. Big and polished {^Cry} may have been, but it just wasn't memorable or hooky enough to be great {\pop} and unlike {$Shania}'s very clever everywoman pose, {$Hill}'s {\pop} move was too detached, too snooty for her {\country} audience. Since she's no fool, {$Faith Hill} has quickly returned to the {\country-pop} and big {\ballads} that brought her stardom on 1999's {^Breathe}, but that doesn't mean she's not playing it smart and savvy. She's recorded several songs by {$John Rich} -- best known as half of {$Big & Rich}, but also a professional songwriter who is pretty close to being ubiquitous in 2005, in the wake of his duo's success. Here, he proves to be a sharp professional by bringing his craftsmanlike musical skills but not his oversized humor to the table with such songs as the laid-back, breezy {&"Sunshine and Summertime"} and the appealingly slick power {\ballad} {&"Like We Never Loved at All,"} delivered with harmonies by {$Hill}'s husband, {$Tim McGraw}. Of course, this being a 21st century {\pop} album, he's not the only collaborator or songwriter on board. Longtime {$Hill} producer {$Byron Gallimore} once again produces the great majority of the album, and he's as instrumental in steering {$Hill} back toward the {\country-pop} mainstream as he was in pushing her toward the {\pop} mainstream, helping her deliver a set of strong, professionally crafted songs, highlighted by three selections from acclaimed {\singer/songwriter} {$Lori McKenna}. While it's hard not to wish that {$Hill} had a few more loose, funny numbers like {&"Dearly Beloved"} -- a kissing cousin to {$the Dixie Chicks}' {&"White Trash Wedding"} that's not only the purest dose of fun here, it's also the purest dose of {\country}, too -- this is a good straight-ahead mainstream {\country} album, aiming squarely at the middle of the road and hitting its target perfectly. The songs are solid and square, sounding comfortably familiar on the first listen and growing more memorable with repeated plays, {$Hill} never oversings, and the entire affair is perfectly likable and pleasant -- the kind of thing that will shore up her support after the shaky {^Cry}, even if it breaks no new ground. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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