Lifehouse - Who We Are

Release Date: 06/19/07
Genre: Pop Rock

For my 50th review, I decided to review this album. They were my favorite band, until this album. It's tough for me to be unbiased because they shaped who I am as a person, but my music side knew the time was coming. I was outgrowing the band. It's funny because in early 2007, I just couldn't listen to Lifehouse anymore, like their music just felt in the past. So I was going to write a 'goodbye' blog about them and how they influence my life and thank them in case I forget why I loved them in the first place, but then they surprised everyone that they were going to released an album in two months. I've been telling people about this band for years and I felt that they were currently the most underrated band in rock. I always knew that musically, they weren't creating anything new, but Jason somehow comes out with the best lyrics. So before the album came out, I wanted to wait till I got the physical CD because I hardly ever do that theses days. And I remember reading the comments from the message board and they were saying it was on par with "No Name Face."And I remember it was early in the morning and I drove around town for an hour just listening to the album.

Review: "Disarray" opens the album and it completely satisfies me. It's everything I want that's perfectly blending new and old. It's also the best lyrically. "Everyone around me is trying to make a statement, then there's me. I’m just trying to survive." "First Time" is the second track and I was familiar with it because it was the lead single. I really like the music because it's upbeat, but it's a little typical sounding for radio. Jason's voice during the chorus is great.

"Whatever It Takes" is so good in the first verse/chorus, but the line that sticks out that turns the song into corniness is when he sings "You gotta let me inside even though it hurts." It just sounds too cliché. Overall, I like it, even though it's another "struggling relationship" songs, it just feels like a cookie cutter song that's safe for radio.

"Who We Are" is the second song that satisfies me of new and old. It sounds like they took care of this song and not just rushed record. "Broken" is the longest song on the album at just under 5 minutes. I'm on the fence with it because it's not emotional at all, but it tries to be. I think his vocals are convincing in it, but the ending is lame. I appreciate the build up, but it's ruin with terrible rhymes.

"I'm hanging on another day
Just to see what, you will throw my way
And I'm hanging on, to the words you say
You said that I will, will be okay"

I guess it gets the job done, but that sounded like it was written by someone ab-libbing in the shower. The strings give it enough depth that the vocals become secondary during the bridge, but the song was asking for a stronger 'release' then just a recycle used of the chorus.

After that song, the album goes downhill pretty fast. "The Joke" for example goes out of the norm for Lifehouse and I'm sure some fans will find it interesting solely because it's 'different,' but lyrics aside, the song is terrible.

"Easier to Be" sounds like a theme song to a NBC Friday Night drama. It's an easy song to digest, as with "Mesmerized." Both songs are mellow and nice 'complementary' tracks, problem is, they don't have a song near them that pushes the album forward, so the second half of the album feels grounded. "Make Me Over" is catchy in the good way, but not enough to reach greatness.

"Bridges" has a great promising start, but it ends lame. Verse/Chorus/Verse/Chorus..no. you're a rock song, you're suppose to jam it out near the end. "Learn You Inside Out" is shit. The chorus is so dumb, the melody is yuck. "Storm" is ruin by the background music's tinging echo sound. And then it ends.

Summary: No matter where my listening habit goes to, I'll always return to Lifehouse in someway. The first 5 tracks are very good and I'll be pleased to see them in any form, but the second half felt like it was done because the band felt like they needed new songs just to get a record out. It's not too terrible, but it's not good either. I think if they just waited a few weeks and worked on the songs again, it could have been better because the music is there, the lyrics just needed better word choices.

Key Tracks: Disarray, First Time, Who We Are
Rating: 6/10