Fireflies

1	Sunshine and Summertime 3:27
2	Mississippi Girl 3:52
3	Dearly Beloved 2:23
4	I Ain't Gonna Take It Anymore 3:59
5	Stealing Kisses 4:23
6	Fireflies 4:28
7	Like We Never Loved at All 4:23
8	I Want You 4:06
9	The Lucky One 3:37
10	If You Ask 4:16
11	We've Got Nothing But Love to Prove 4:35
12	You Stay with Me 4:24
13	Wish for You 3:48
14	Paris 5:20

Barnes & Noble

Returning from the broader pop arenas she explored on 2002's Cry, Faith Hill proffers a state-of-the-art mainstream country gem in Fireflies, with ambitious, soaring arrangements, stellar support from top-drawer sidemen, and -- the main virtue -- Hill's savvy vocalizing. She employs her soaring pipes in a variety of welcoming settings: the hard-driving, honky-tonk-tinged celebration of lasting love in "Dearly Beloved"; the rootsy kiss-off ballad "I Ain't Gonna Take It Anymore"; the anguished drama of the tear-stained power ballad "Like We Never Loved At All," a duet with hubby and co-producer Tim McGraw, appearing as his studio alter ego, Byron Gallimore. (Incidentally, this track sounds like it would be right in Trisha Yearwood's wheelhouse.) Hill also knows how to choose a well-crafted tune, selecting, among others, a handful of songs penned by John Rich of Big & Rich, including the rowdy, biographical single "Mississippi Girl" and the lighthearted pop ebullience of "Sunshine and Summertime," which sounds like an instant seasonal classic. On a more serious note, she delves into drama-rich introspection on the yearning lover's vow "If You Ask" and even some topical, post-9/11 commentary on the urgent "We've Got Nothing but Love to Prove." Settle in: Fireflies looks to be buzzing around for quite some time. David McGee

All Music Guide

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

New York Times

A winsome new CD that marks her rededication to country music and culture. Kelefa Sanneh

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