What a voice this woman has. Hearing it again, with just a few more shades of age-earned wisdom and range, is a revelation.
That being said, it’s a OneRepublic cover. It would fit nicely on an action movie soundtrack, maybe playing over the end credits.
As a lead single to a studio album, it’s a bit discouraging, especially for an artist who has produced killer lead singles in the past.
Maybe I’d like it a whole lot more if it didn’t get so loud toward the end. Sometimes I wonder if they even try to take a few elements out and hear if it’s any better.
Written by Ryan Tedder
Grade: C+
Listen: Come Home
My thoughts exactly. In some ways this reminds me of Twain’s “Today Is Your Day,” as both feature a veteran female artist giving a mature, nuanced performance of a somewhat disappointing song.
I’m baffled when I hold this single up against Faith’s most recent pre-hiatus material. How can an artist go from such a spectacular album like Firflies to churning out a disposable cover song like this? I’m sure the new album will have its share of strong moments, but I highly doubt that it will stack up well against efforts such as Fireflies, Cry, or It Matters to Me.
I was fairly disappointed when I first heard this. This is definitely not what I was expecting after such a long wait. I will say, I enjoyed her CMA performance of the song much better than the studio version. When she sang this live she was able to showcase the grittiness her voice has developed over the years, where the single sounds too slick and produced. I’m just hoping this is the same situation as Fireflies, disappointing lead single to a great album.
…”come home…via a backroad” might have a made it a little countrier than that. “milk and cookies” would have made it a little more seasonal that that. thank god, they dismissed the duet-with-tim idea.
It makes me sad to have to agree with the lackluster review for this track. I really enjoy OneRepublic, they’re easily one of my favorite pop bands & I absolutely adore Faith Hill- I own and love everything she’s done. I even like “Come Home” to a degree, but as a lead single ending a long hiatus..it just doesn’t deliver on the level it needs to. (I do think it’s infinitely better than Shania’s “Today Is Your Day”- although I do think Ben’s comparison is fitting)
To an extent, everything Faith does is a “cover”, she’s always been an interpreter of other people’s songs rather than a writer. That doesn’t bother me in the slightest. My problem with this track is that it doesn’t feel like she adds anything to it and the end result is that it leaves me cold. I also don’t understand why she’d choose a well known cover song as her comeback single. It’s tough to get excited about a “new” song you already know all the words to.
I still hope it does well for her on radio though and I’m not closed off to the track growing on me. I’m thrilled to have her back and can’t wait for the album.
It’s not BAD, but I don’t love it. The OneRepublic version is so much stronger. Despite that, I bet this is HUGE on Adult Contemporary radio when they go for radio adds there.
I am a huge Shania fan but I have to admit that this is superior to “Today Is Your Day” in their present form; however, had Shania released the more uptempo acoustic version hers would have been by far the better one. With that said, this song is decent it has a great vocal but it has some awkward lyrics as well as could benefit from some less Cry like production. Overall, this may be her worse lead off single to date but hopefully the album is much better.
PS from the looks of it Shania’s “Today Is Your Day” was more of a one off promotional single to go along with the shows conclusion so the hopes a truly prominent comeback is very possible
7 years . . . I repeat nearly 7 years. That is how long Faith Hill had to find a song we hadn’t heard before whether as a One Republic solo song or even as a duet with Sara Bareilles. Really? I feel cheated
I did not know the One Republic version so for me this is a new song.I guess Ryan Tedder sent this song to Faith because he thought this song should get more attention than it has, should be a bigger hit than he has made it.I’m sure he’s grateful even if all you critics are not.In country music there is a long tradition of artists covering existing songs, as there is in all music. What would have become of My way if Sinatra hadn’t covered it?, It’s all right mama or blue suede shoes if Elvis had not stepped in?.
You all should get over yourself and your opinions. Come home is a great song and deserves to get heard by a lot of people,not just One Republic fans. Can’t wait for the new cd, it’s going to be fantastic.
uhhh, this song is a smash people. clean your ears out, get over being personally hurt she didn’t sit down and ‘write’ her 1st single- this is COUNTRY- where 90% of EVERY artist doesn’t write their singles- neither did Sinatra, Ella fitzgerald, etta james, etc the absolute biggest singers of all time- GEORGE STRAIT people come on!! who cares if it’s onerepublic or bob dylan- a hit is a hit. and this song is a hit. period.
Jon, the issue is not that Faith didn’t write the song. I’m aware that none of her major hits were self-written, as I’m sure others are too. The thing is that she’s covering a song that’s already been defined by another artist, and a song that many have heard before, which causes her version to lose a great deal of its shine. It’s one thing if she includes a cover as a track on the album, but it’s a disappointing choice as a kickoff single to lead the new project. That aside, I think the over-the-top production keeps this from being a great cover in its own right.
“‘come home…via a backroad’ might have a made it a little countrier than that”
Putting Easton Corbin on the track would have done that too.
jon, I disagree. This is not going to be a huge hit for Faith. It will be lucky to crack the top 10. It wasn’t even a hit for the previous Artists that performed it. With all the great songwriters in Nashville, and the fact that she had tons of time to find a perfect song, She or her team dropped the ball here. IMO