It's hard to classify a band as "underrated" when they've had some of the biggest hits in a decade. Try finding a wedding scene on TV that doesn't have "You and Me" playing in the background. I dare you. For that matter, find a person who hasn't heard "Hanging by a Moment" enough to know the lyrics. I think I even heard it in Walmart just the other day. Every Lifehouse album seems to churn out at least one radio hit that is guaranteed to take the album gold, if not platinum.
These hits transfer to the stage quite well. I've seen this band live 3 times now, and each time they give 100% on stage. They sound just as clean and polished on stage as they do on the CD. I don't mean that in the sense that they sound like they're singing along to a recording; they're that practiced, smooth with their songs that playing them live is as natural as breathing.
But the hits aren't what makes this band great. Jason Wade can write a hook better than almost anyone in the business. However, hidden between tracks like "Hanging by a Moment" and "First Time" are depth and emotion that few even know about. Tracks like "Walking Away," where Jason Wade addresses his father, who walked out on his family when Jason was young. You find tracks like "Storm," which Jason wrote as a worship song years ago, when he was a worship leader in California. And I haven't even hit the bonus tracks you can find on the imports.
Lifehouse has seen a rotation of musicians backing Jason Wade since No Name Face came out in 2001. The current lineup includes Bryce Soderberg, Rick Woolstenhume, and Ben Carey. One of the most amazing things about this group is that it really is a band, despite the heavy rotation. While Jason does most of the writing, this group functions more as a unit instead of a group of guys fueling the front man. It's because of that solid structure that we haven't seen the last, or even the best, from Lifehouse yet.
Lifehouse is currently recording their 6th studio album. If you don't have their album's yet, my recommendation is to start with Who We Are or No Name Face. Here's a few of my favorite tracks:
"Storm," Who We Are
"Better Luck Next Time," Lifehouse
"Nerve Damage," Smoker and Mirrors
"Everything," No Name Face
"Sky is Falling," Stanley Climbfall
I like most of the songs you picked... especially Nerve Damage.
ReplyDeleteThough I think "Just Another Name" and "The Joke" are better for those respective albums. But my preference is for rock over the softer stuff.