Faith Hill - Cry (2002/2012) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

Listening to the opening track 'Free' on Faith Hill's CRY, one might be momentarily thrown; is this the Nashville country-pop siren we've come to know, or has the new Christina Aguilera album been mistakenly packaged in this jewel case? Come to think of it, the album cover might prompt the same question. While the electronic, pumping dance-pop rhythms of 'Free' are far from what we think of as the Nashville sound, even in the 21st century, expectations are put back on track with the next track. The title song is closer to the Garth Brooks-meets-Pat Benatar power ballad sound commonly associated with Hill. The rest of the album walks a tightrope between the two styles, darting back and forth on either side. While the likes of 'Stronger' and 'You're Still Here' are ballads close to Hill's country-pop beginnings, many other tracks here utilize ultra-contemporary dance-pop production techniques in a seeming attempt to push Hill to maturing Britney-lovers. Since Hill has never exactly been what anyone would call 'rootsy,' this shift in stylistic emphasis is not too tumultuous, and is unlikely to disturb her (huge) hardcore fan base.

Lavishly produced and packaged, Cry marks the continued ascent of Faith Hill from the lowlands of down-home authenticity to the heights of pop superstardom. Though plenty of Nashville A-team players back her up, the sound they churn out has almost nothing to do with country music. Riding a tide of massed synthesizer textures, sweeping orchestral strings, thundering drums, rock guitar licks, and melodramatic dynamics, Hill strives for the biggest possible gestures in her performance. The results are the kind of glitzy fireworks normally associated with Star Search or American Idol, in which the lyrics take a backseat to raw exhibitionism, and only the most cursory nod is made toward country lyrical convention.'

Tracklist:

01. Free
02. Cry
03. One
04. When The Lights Go Down
05. Beautiful
06. Unsaveable
07. Baby You Belong
08. If You're Gonna Fly Away
09. Stronger
10. If This Is The End
11. This Is Me
12. Back To You
13. I Think I Will
14. You're Still Here

Personnel:

Faith Hill - vocals
Damon Johnson - acoustic, electric & slide guitars
Marti Frederiksen - acoustic & electric guitars, vocals
Tim Pierce - acoustic & electric guitars
Dean Parks - acoustic guitar
Michael Landau - electric guitar, background vocals
Paul Bushnell - bass
Leland Sklar - bass
Vinnie Colaiuta - drums
Suzie Katayama - violin
Jim Cox - piano & Hammond B-3 organ
Jamie Muhoberac - keyboards
Bekka Bramlet - tambourine, background vocals
Eric Carter - programming
Frank Macek - programming
Erik Lutkins - loops
Doug Moffet - Lisa Gregg, Lisa Cochran, Crystal Taliefero, Chris Rodriguez, background vocals



All thanks go to the original releaser