Wow, I’m shocked at how consistent we were with this one! Here are my comments:
Best song: Come Back Down
This to me is a top-five Lifehouse song. Everything that makes Lifehouse great is here: a catchy, comforting melody, a big chorus, and the protagonist of the story coming from a place of darkness but looking for hope.
It’s a fascinating opening track to me for a few reasons: firstly, it’s somewhere in between (ha) a ballad and a mid-tempo rock song, so a marked departure from the hard rock sound of Stanley Climbfall. Moreover, to start an album by talking to someone who isn’t here, saying “when you come back [down], I hope you find a way to make it back to me” already places you in the middle of a story. Someone has been lost, whether death or estrangement or breakup, and we’re beginning after the event occurred and already from a place of healing. “I know what you’re going through / I won’t be the one who lets go of you”. Very JW, classic LH.
Also… shoutout to two production quirks of this song. The shaker comes in on the fourth bar of the first verse rather than with the rest of the song, giving a little extra wind in the sails right off the bat. Secondly, the guitar interference at the start of the second and third choruses gives a bit of edge to the track . Ted Jensen’s mastering is also fantastic… this is still the song I listen to to test audio equipment. Alagia really killed it with this one, and set the tone for a more relaxed Lifehouse.
Honourable mention to All In All, I think the second-best song from the album;)
Worst song: Undone
I’m a big fan of John Mayer’s Room for Squares, and if you listen to Love Song for No One, you’ll find that it sounds very different than the rest of the tracks on that record. That’s because Alagia produced it too, and he played the riff at the start, rather than Mayer. Insane to take over from such a talented guitarist, but never mind that. It got me thinking…
I’d be willing to bet good money that this is what happened here. The opening riff to Undone is quite different from most of the songwriting J had done to date at this point, and I think it’s a John Alagia riff that they added to an existing demo, or at least refined and had him play rather than Jason. Sonically, I find it fine, but it feels repetitive, doesn’t really add much beyond what Days Go By and We’ll Never Know provide (snowfist is right!). Lyrically, it’s nice and optimistic, but again, similar to some others in this regard. It’s the one I skip sometimes, and I would’ve easily replaced it with one of about six other b-sides instead.
Underrated: Walking Away
This one kills me. Sonically it reminds me of a slower Come Back Down, with the same production, similar mic setup maybe, and a gorgeously layered and warm sound. The surefooted drums to start, then the melody just dripping with warmth and melancholy, the strumming acoustic coming in at the end of the first verse (again to pick the album up), and the Wurlitzer coming in near the end. And those lyrics!! This is a poem in song form. Setting the scene, introducing a character, character’s backstory, and relation to the singer. Simply stunning. I adore it so much. This is probably the clearest song J’s written about his dad.
B-side that should have made the album: Midnight in Philadelphia
This one isn’t even close for me. Midnight in Philly is my favourite Lifehouse song and favourite song with lyrics, and I think it’s darn near perfect in all aspects. Possibly the most comforting lyrics I’ve ever heard sung, over impeccable layered guitar (four total!?), with the prettiest melody I think Jason’s ever written. I considered Along the Way, Better Part of Me, and The Place Where I Fit In for this one, but I have to give it to the song that’s got me through the most:) overall I think a few of you mentioned Through These Times so this wins among the crowd though.
Final thoughts
The yellow album remains my favourite Lifehouse album – it’s a softer sound that matches Jason’s introspective lyrics, and he really meditates on what it means to live with oneself and handle life’s ups and downs. I think some of the other albums have a greater number of stand-out tracks, but taken as a whole, this is the album I come back to the most and put on after a long day.
This is fun! Next up is an album that will absolutely have different takes…