Fireflies (CD - 2005)

Personnel: Dann Huff (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, gut-string guitar); Mike Henderson (electric guitar); Bruce Bouton (steel guitar, dobro); Dan Dugmore (dobro, banjo, percussion); John Wittenberg, Anatoly Rosinsky, Robert Matsuda, Michael Markman, Berj Garabedian, Mario Diaz de Leon (violin); Denyse Buffum (viola); Dan Tobin Smith, Suzie Katayama, Stephen Erdody, Dan Smith, Carl Gorodetzky, Steve Erdody (cello); Steve Cohn (accordion); Eric Darken (bass guitar, percussion); Glenn Worf, Paul Bushnell (bass guitar); Shannon Forrest (drums, percussion); Shannon Forest (drums); Brett E. Warren, Gene Miller, Lisa Cochran, Liana Manis (background vocals); Jay Joyce, Tom Bukovac (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Darrell Scott (acoustic guitar, mandolin); Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar); Kenny Greenberg (electric guitar, electric mandolin); Byron Gallimore (electric guitar, organ, keyboards); Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Aubrey Haynie (mandolin, fiddle); Stuart Duncan (mandolin); Roberto Cani, Bruce Dukov, Sara Parkins, Robert Peterson, Armen Garabedian, Darius Campo, Josephina Vergara, Michele Richards, Susan Chatman, Charlie Bisharat, Endre Granat (violin); Roland Kato, Evan Wilson, Bob Becker (viola); Paula Hochhalter, John Catchings, Larry Corbett, Steve Richards (cello); Jimmy Nichols (accordion, piano, organ, keyboards); Tim Lauer (accordion); Gordon Mote (piano); Charles Judge (organ, keyboards, string synthesizer); Chris McHugh, Matt Chamberlain, Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); Javier Solís (percussion); Crystal Taliefero, Greg Barnhill, Kelly Willis, Rhonda Vincent, Tim McGraw, Wes Hightower, Bekka Bramlett, Perry Coleman (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Byron Gallimore; David Thoener; Greg Droman; Justin Niebank.

Recording information: Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); Capitol Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); Emerald ENtertainment, Nashville, TN (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); Essential Sound, Nashville, TN (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); Jane's Place, Nashville, TN (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); OceanWay, Nashville, TN (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); Premium Recording Services, Austin, TX (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); Starstruck, Nashville, TN (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); The Castle, Nashville TN (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); The Sound Kitchen, Nashville, TN (03/04/2004-12/09/2004).

Photographer: Andrew McPherson .

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

Coming after the relative commercial disappointment of 2002's pop-oriented CRY--and, not at all coincidentally, Gretchen Wilson's rise as the new Everygirl of country--Faith Hill's FIREFLIES is a blatant attempt to ditch the singer's glamourpuss image and reassert her country roots, such things having become fashionable again. This isn't a problem, however: Shania Twain-like chart pop wasn't Hill's forte, and FIREFLIES brings her back where she belongs.

The first single, "Mississippi Girl," is Hill's best song in years. A Dixie Chicks-like piece of sweet country-pop with a few bluegrass trimmings, the tune was written by country hitmaker John Rich. Rich also penned some of the other standouts here, like the laid-back "Sunshine and Summertime" and "Like We Never Loved At All," a dramatic, '70s-style duet between Hill and her husband Tim McGraw. Three other songs are from the catalogue of alt-country singer/songwriter Lori McKenna, taking Hill into a folkish vein similar to Mary-Chapin Carpenter. The overall lack of bombast suits Hill's girl-next-door delivery perfectly, making FIREFLIES a much-needed artistic comeback after a dubious detour. minimize