Band review: Lifehouse

by Mohammad Hijazi

Lifehouse is an American alternative rock band originating from Los Angeles. They grabbed the attention of the music scene in 2001 with their hit single "Hanging by a Moment" from their record-breaking multi-platinum debut album "No Name Face." Their first single was able to claim a Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year and beat Alicia Keys and Janet Jackson for the #1 single in 2001.

Currently, this band includes Jason Wade (lead vocalist and guitarist, Rick Wooltenhulme (drums, percussions), Bruce Soderberg (bass guitarist), and Ben Carey (guitarist). They have sold over fifteen million albums and singles worldwide to date.

Another song from there debut album which has became famous is "Everything." This song was featured on the Premiere and season one finale of "Smallville," the TV show that tells the story of Clark Kent, aka Superman. This began a long-standing affair between the band and the series, as Lifehouse would go on to have seven songs played during the series' first four seasons, ending with a live performance in the fourth-season prom episode.

Their second album, "Stanley Climbfall", saw the light in 2002. Its singles, "Spin" and "Take me", were successful, yet, the whole album was overshadowed by the success of their first album.

Their third album was eponymous. Its first single, "You and me" was released in January 2005, although it was written five years before. The song was a huge success for the band, especially that it stayed for 66 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100. This song has also appeared on "Smallville" and songs from this album were featured in eight other shows including "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scrubs." Other recommended songs from this album are "Come Back Down", "Blind", "Undone," and "All in All".

Their fourth album, entitled "Who We Are", was released in June 2007. This album "rocks a little harder" than previous albums, according to the band. From this album, the songs that were most famous are "First Time", "Whatever it Takes", and "Broken."

Their fifth album was recently released on March 2nd, 2010 after several delays. This album is entitled "Smoke and Mirrors" and debuted at #6 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Songs worth listening to from this album are "Had Enough" featuring Chris Daughtry, "Halfway Gone" and "From Where You Are." This album particularly shows that after ten years of producing music, this band has become more mature.

Most songs of Lifehouse will entertain alternative rock lovers, and some will leave you obsessing over them. If you like the music of Nickleback, One Republic, and The Fray, the music of this band is for you.