On I’m Coming Home, Johnny Mathis didn’t return to familiar territory so much as discover some common ground he shared with new friends. Producer Thom Bell — the arranging genius behind the great Philadelphia soul records of the ‘70s — brings out the veteran artist’s affinity for R&B balladry in these tracks. Together with co-writer Linda Creed, he offers Mathis the same sort of musically-lush and lyrically-sensitive songs that had earned the Stylistics, the Spinners and similar artists a long string of hits. Johnny responds by adding a fresh rhythmic emphasis to his singing without losing the pristine warmth of his style. He fills the title track with yearning and catches the dreamy essence of “I’m Stone In Love With You” as Bell’s arrangements shimmer behind him. Worth special mention are the songs that go beyond typical love-lyric boundaries to tackle broader topics. “A Baby’s Born” (a meditation on the continuity of life) and “Life Is A Song Worth Singing” (an anthem of self-empowerment) are rendered by Mathis with poignancy and fervor. By the end of I’m Coming Home, the listener is convinced Johnny was meant to sing Philly Soul all his life. Maybe he did come home after all.