Rating: 4/5
Almost three years have passed since Lifehouse released their second album Stanley Climbfall. During those three years a lot has changed: band members have come and gone, big radio hits, and then silence from a band that hit the scene in 2000 with the most requested song of the year, Hanging By A Moment. The pun that is the title Stanley Climbfall (Stand, Climb, Fall) describes Lifehouse’s musical journey over the past five years. They stood up with their 2000 release, No Name Face. They then climbed further in 2002 with Stanley Climbfall, only to fall badly over the past two years. Their new self-titled album is an attempt for them to stand again.
The sound is the first thing that you notice about Lifehouse’s new album. With band member changes a slightly different sound is expected, however Lifehouse’s new sound is anything but slightly different. It is a complete change in direction. Some might say that their new poetic slow rock is a step backwards. However this is no No Name Face. So far with each new album, Lifehouse have experimented with their sound and Lifehouse is just a continuation of that experiment.
Jason Wade has a gift for writing songs with meaning. Being a Christian in a mainstream band is a challenge, but Jason does a great job with his lyrics, being powerful, positive, and meaningful, without sounding overtly mushy. The only exception to this is Into the Sun. The lyrics make no sense unless you substitute ‘Sun’ with ‘Son’ (referring to Jesus). The compromise made by a Christian band not being able to directly state their beliefs due to recording contracts is a shame but Lifehouse is not the first to do it (Zed, P.O.D).
Lifehouse opens with the song Come Back Down. This song sets the mood for the rest of the album, giving listeners an idea of what the new Lifehouse sounds like. “When you come back down, if you land on your feet, I hope you find a way to make it back to me.” The next track is their new single, You and Me – once again very poetic and describing Lifehouse’s journey over the past few years. The third track Blind really gets the album going with its strong drumming and guitar riffs. It is one of the few songs to sound like the old Lifehouse. It’s back into their new sound for All in All and Better Luck Next Time until the more upbeat Days Go By and Undone.
Track nine, We’ll Never Know is the closet that you will get to the sound of Hanging by a Moment, and is probably one of the best songs on the album. The rest of the album returns to the slow poetic sound introduced at the start. Lifehouse is a great album, for any Lifehouse fan it does take some getting used to. But the change in sound also addresses a whole new audience. While personally I like No Name Face better, it does do a good job of equaling or surpassing Stanley Climbfall. Well worth your spare change, but I wouldn’t break the bank to get it.
