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This album is going to be around for a while. Riding some heavy guitar chords and 20-year-old lead singer Jason Wade's captivating voice, the first single and first track from Lifehouse's
No Name Face, "Hanging By a Moment," raced up Billboard's Hot 100, peaking at number two. And it's not even the best song on the disc.
Nearly every cut on this album has single potential, with "Unknown," "Only One," "Simon" and "Breathing" leading the charge. And while these guys prove they can jam on songs like "Cling and Clatter" and "Quasimodo," they're at their absolute best when the tempo is toned down a notch or two. At times, you'll swear you're listening to Collective Soul or maybe even a sedated Creed, but there's something about Lifehouse's music that sets them apart from other bands. There's a touch of grunge mixed with some intelligent writing and Wade's dynamic voice, and with that combination you'll be completely into this disc after the first few songs, instinctively reaching for the repeat button at least two or three times before track 12, a haunting tune called "Everything," finally winds down.
Perhaps the most remarkable quality of No Name Face is Wade's
willingness to open up completely, giving his listeners an honest look into his life with his overwhelming vocals and sincere lyrics. In the band's second single, "Sick Cycle Carousel," this 20 year old kid says,
"If shame had a face / I think it would kind of look like mine / If it had a home / Would it be my
eyes?" As long as Jason Wade keeps putting lyrics like that on paper, you can expect to see a lot more of
Lifehouse.
~Jamey Codding
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