Published on Jan 16, 2000
Last century, I reviewed Faith Hill’s new album
Breathe. I found it to be a well-done album, mixing elements
of both traditional country and 90s pop in perfect fashion. That
also raised my expectations for this album, the previous one
released and the one that took Hill to country superstardom.
Unfortunately, for some reason, I did not find it to be as engaging
or as original. Shocked? So was I. In any way, let’s discuss the
album a bit further.
The opening track – and the single that is easiest to recognize
– is “This Kiss.” This song became a monster hit for
Faith and forced non-country fans to take notice of the
up-and-coming diva. Still, I find it to be not as inspired as some
of the tracks on
Breathe. In fact, that becomes the biggest drag on this
album. The majority of the songs are all right and decent enough.
However, none of them truly jump out to grab you like the better
tracks on the follow-up album did. The majority of songs, like
“Love Ain’t Like That,” “Better Days” or “You Give Me Love” are
only somewhat good. They, for the most part, just sit there and do
nothing.
However, as I listened to this album, a darker thought hit me.
Were the producers, or the writers or the managers trying to turn
Faith into a country-version of Celine Dion? Material like
“Let Me Let Go” and “The Secret Of Life” sound like something out
of Dion’s repertoire. This dark feeling reached its peak when I
heard Hill’s version of “I Love You” which, if you remember, was
done in Dion’s monster
Falling Into You.
Then you read that her duet with hubby Tim McGraw, “Just To Hear
You Say You Love Me,” was penned by Dion’s favorite writer, Diane
Warren. This is just too much coincidence. Luckily,
Breathe does feature stronger writing and sound. I would
have hated if whoever’s idea had succeeded, but, as it is,
Breathe does restore my faith in this country diva.
Now this doesn’t mean that I didn’t like the album. Some tracks
are quite decent. “My Wild Frontier” is a true country track that
is very good. “Love Ain’t Like That” mixes some background gospel
sounds with a country song. At the same time, three of the last
four tracks – the exception being the aforementioned “I Love You” –
are quite good. “Me” is very good, actually delving more into pop
than country. Along the same lines is “The Hard Way,” which I found
to be a very good mix of pop and country. And the album closer,
“Somebody Stand By Me” is very good. I’m not too into quiet and
soft tracks as album closers, but this one fits great and sounds
just as good. Here we hear Hill doing a very good rendition of
Sheryl Crow’s song.
Overall, I found
Faith to be a much weaker album than its successor. Had Hill
continued on this trend, I would have been quick to lump her into
the Shania Twain-wannabes lump. Like I said, this album is decent
and, if you’re a fan, you will probably pick it up. However, I am
glad that she did not go that route and opted for some musical
growth. Still, if you want some good pop and country, here is as
good a place as any.