.::. LIFEHOUSE .::.

Asked what kind of music can be found on Lifehouse's third album (simply titled Lifehouse), Jason Wade pauses and says, “the kind of music I like to write. That’s one of the great things about having done a couple of records. I don’t second-guess myself anymore. When I’m writing, I’m not trying to please everyone. My first question is: Do I like it?” Wade proved himself a gifted songwriter with Lifehouse’s first record, 2000’s multiplatinum No Name Face, which spawned the #1 hit “Hanging by a Moment.” Calling that song a hit, however, is a bit of an understatement as “Hanging by a Moment” was the most-played song of 2001 (according to BDS), the unequivocal airplay champ across the entire spectrum of radio formats. For all its strengths, “Hanging by a Moment” was a hit because Jason Wade knows his way around a hook. This has never been more evident than it is on Lifehouse (set for release spring 2005, on Geffen Records). Fronted by singer-guitarist Wade, powered by drummer Rick Woolstenhulme and transformed with the addition of bassist-singer Bryce Soderberg, Lifehouse is a rock band. But Wade’s blossoming pop chops demand recognition. Indelible melodies, stacked harmonies, layered strings, Wurlitzer, B3, vibes – nimbly corralled by producer John Alagia – this is the stuff dreams are made of (check the Beatlesque gem “Chapter One” if you have any doubts). Still, with Wade, it ain’t all hearts and flowers; his lyrics are perhaps most often described as “moody,” and this record is no exception (he counts Elliott Smith among his recent influences). He’s a very private person, but he will say: “A while back I had a falling-out with someone I was really close to. I went through a hard time dealing with that, picking up the pieces. I’m not the kind of person who wants to sit down and have a long conversation about my feelings. That stuff tends to get worked out in the songs.” First single “You and Me” is one of the few love songs on the disc, but its tone is more stormy than romantic. “You know when you start to fall for someone but you’re not sure if they return the feeling?” Wade muses. “You could be in a room full of people, but all you see is her. It’s like being in the eye of a hurricane – everything else is swirling around you, but you’re totally fixated on this person, and you’re wondering, ‘Does she feel it, too?’” The tracks “Blind” and “Better Luck,” on the other hand, are “more confrontational,” says Wade. He’s disarmingly candid about the latter, confiding: “My parents split when I was 12, and on some level I’m still dealing with it. I can face it now in a way I couldn’t then. Sometimes I wonder if I’m ever gonna stop writing abo... historia completa »