Lifehouse
Singer/guitarist Jason Wade spent much of his youth in the Far East with his family before returning to the states with stops in Portland, OR, and Seattle, WA. When his parent's marriage bit the dust, Wade and his mom headed for L.A. There, Wade met Guatemalan-born bass player, Sergio Andrade. Adding a drummer, Lifehouse began playing every Friday at a local school auditorium. Soon these performances were attracting a few hundred teens. Eventually, Rick Woolstenhulme replaced the original drummer.
Word of mouth caught the attention of producer Ron Aniello who introduced Lifehouse to '80s recording artist Jude Cole. Cole was so impressed he became the group's manager.
Lifehouse, with the aid of guitarist Stuart Mathis (who also joined the group on stage), began recording demos that Cole brought to Dreamworks Records. Attempts to re-record some of the demos didn't work. The new versions didn't sound as real or vibrant, so several "demo" versions were used on "No Name Face." The success of the single, "Hanging By The Moment" (which garnered the most radio airplay of any song in '01) put them on the road opening for Pearl Jam, among others. Releases in '02 ("Stanley Climbfall") and '05 ("Lifehouse" with the hit, "You And Me") rolled out. Prior to the release of their third album Bryce Soderbeg became the group's bassist.
'07 release, "Who We Are," was recorded at the studio owned by actor Kiefer Sutherland and Cole. According to a band statement, the CD "Rock(s) a little harder" than their last effort. As the album hit, Lifehouse headed out on a North American trek with the Goo Goo Dolls.
With 7,813 bands operating in the post-Grunge "gruff voiced-angst ridden-singer/searing guitars" mode it can be extremely difficult to separate from the pack. "Hanging By The Moment" gave Lifehouse a leg up and "No Name Face" was a good start. Produced by Ron Aniello, it was recorded mostly at his home studio. "Hanging By The Moment" had major Modern Rock impact. Overall though, the CD hovers around mid-tempo. The songs (all composed by Wade) stand up to repeated listening especially "Someone Else's Song" and "Breathing." Lifehouse doesn't break any new ground they are very accessible.
"Stanley Climfall" tries to be a bit more ornate and generally pulls it off. However, their self-titled '05 effort seems diffuse. Many of the songs are well crafted but not terribly compelling - it's that whole slow verse/big chorus song structure. But when Lifehouse bears down, they deliver. "Better Luck Next Time" and the opening track, "Come Back Down," have some teeth to them.
Lifehouse doesn't stray from the power-pop concept that made them famous on "Who We Are." Upbeat, melodic tracks are the primary calling card. Except for a couple forgettable ballads at the end - which is a good place for them - "Who We Are" is an energetic, if not particularly relevatory, effort.