Lifehouse
No Name Face
(Dreamworks)
By: Jeff Leisawitz - ModernRock.com
It’s not every day that a rock band goes from playing gigs at the local church picnic to opening up a string of dates for Pearl Jam. I know, it sounds like a bad joke, but this is the true story of the LA band Lifehouse and their immaculate debut disc, No Name Face.
With parents as missionaries, singer Jason Wade had an interesting childhood. Other kids moved from state to state, but Wade and his family ended up in a small village in China. It probably wasn’t the best place in the world to turn on to rock music but it certainly fed his soul with diverse experiences and an appreciation for American culture.
Fast forward a decade or so, back in good old Malibu, California, Wade hooked up with a few other teens from the local church youth group. Lifehouse was formed. Lifehouse rocked. Lifehouse inked a deal.
The twelve tracks on No Name Face offer up a sound that melds blazing and subdued electric guitars with a powerful, sublime vocal delivery and a set of lyrics that spans the volatile territory of spirituality, conformity and human relationships.
On the first single and album’s strongest cut, "Hanging By a Moment," the singer speaks directly to his girlfriend and the world. "I’m running and not quite sure where to go/ I don’t know what I’m diving into/ I’m hanging by a moment here with you."
Songs like this are very personal, but some tracks move into universal themes. "Somebody Else’s Song" acts as a mirror for anyone who’s been pushed into making decisions based on someone else’s expectations. Then "Trying" follows up by acknowledging the fear in making decisions for yourself.
Whatever decisions Wade and his band mates made in the past, one thing is for sure - Lifehouse’s debut CD is a solid, expansive set of songs that pushes through the awkward trials of uncertainty and spiritual alienation. With plenty of bold spacious distortions, enlightened melodies, big rock guitars and soul-searching lyrics, No Name Face is a record that demands a careful listen.
Check out Lifehouse's web site at www.lifehousemusic.com
 Copyright © 2008 ModernRock.com All Rights Reserved
| 
