The Lifehouse Song Competition

[snowfist]

I want to add a bit on Come Back Down. I think the song might be the best opening track out of all. It sounds so drastically different than the previous two albums, but yet feel like a classic Lifehouse song. The opening riffs are so inviting and catchy, like people will feel immediately drawn to the song. The song also for me, culminates the sound and the album theme. Like I said, truly a perfect album opener.

Ok, now back to Who We Are album. I have to say, this might be the most difficult one. I really have to sit down and think. Coz for me I like all songs about the same.

Best song - I choose Broken. It’s a classic, and for good reasons. I love how this song is the first build up song since Everything and it’s on the same level as Everything, or arguably better. The lyrics are moving and timeless.

There are two versions of Broken, both have their own parts that I appreciate. Like I like some parts of the arrangement the radio edit has, the guitar riffs and the effects, the livelier energy. I also prefer the ending part here. Almost like the live version but not quite. That said, I still prefer the album version. There’s just something about the original that feels superior. Maybe it’s the more heartfelt vocal delivery, maybe it’s the slower tempo. Can’t really say for sure, but I just feel like it’s better.

On a different note, speaking of songs with build up, I love how all Lifehouse songs under this theme are all excellent - Signs of Life, All that I’m Asking For, Goodbye Kanan.

Worst - I imagine most people would vote The Joke? But I actually really like the song and being featured here. So I vote for Mesmerized. A song that I actually really like too. Fav part is the chorus, quite catch and fun to sing haha. But just not on the same level with other tracks or song I always back come back to. I see @robert putting Bridges, oh man, how could you do that? I love that song haha.

Underrated - Learn You Inside Out. I remember I looking forward to listen to this the most on album release day. Rick (or is it Jason) mentioned they did this track in just one take (in a few minutes too!), and what a perfect take it was. Lyrics and melody are equally the highlight here.

B-sides - 100% Signs of Life. Still surprised to see it’s not featured in the track listing. If I remember correctly, they mentioned Signs of Life and Who We Are were among the first tracks they completed when they did the album. Maybe it’s the studio decision? What Happens Next too, Jason did mentioned it’s going to be in the next album when they performed it during self-titled era. If it were up to me, it would’ve been a 14 tracks album where these two are featured. Room to Breathe and Song for Pete could also fit in as well. So 16 tracks in total?

[disarray4]

For best song i go for Broken. Like Snowfist said about the 2 version wich i like them both. This song is something beautiful.

For worst songs was difficult. So many good songs on this album. But i have to choose 1. Than i go for Storm. The start with the a capella and later on the piano instead of the guitar is really beautiful. It’s a nice new version. But how many versions have we now? Live, acoustic, reimagined etc, but the Blyss version is still the best of them all.

For most underated i go for Learn you Inside out. It’s quiet different from the rest of the songs in this album. Oke, Make me over is quiet different too, but i think Learn you inside out is a very strong song.

For best B-Sides is was between I’ll keep the change and Signs of life. But i go for Signs of life. I’ll keep the change is that mid tempo classic rock song wich i like so much from Lifehouse, but Signs of life has beautiful lyrics. I love how the piano builds up to the end of the song where the drums comes in. I have the same with Aftermath and Goodbye Kanan. I love that.

[robert]

Hi all, excited to be back after some life and family things the last couple months! Here we go.

Who We Are’s responses are far less clear cut than the previous albums! I think this makes sense. While it was arguably the widest-ranging record sonically Lifehouse had released to date, I actually come around more and more to believe that it’s a concept album: a reckoning of who we’ve become and want to become in the face of those around us (Who We Are, The Joke, Make Me Over), how we love based on our wounds and past experiences (First Time, Whatever It Takes, Mesmerized, Bridges, Learn You Inside Out), and a proclamation of life after a tumultuous time (Disarray, Storm). Lyrically, every song on the record thematically fits this idea of relating to others in some way, and no song in my mind makes that statement clearer than Make Me Over. I consider it the thesis of the album, potentially along with the title track but I think MMO is stronger, so I give it best song:) I think Broken is objectively an amazing track though – just not as representative of the record as a whole to me.

Worst is so hard, and I actually change my mind and pick First Time for this one. Bridges is far too good and far too nuanced; how often do you hear someone admit “it was both of us who made this relationship end”? This song, like What Happens Next, is about his dad, but it’s wonderfully self-aware. First Time is great and I love it, but it’s a simple love song and lacks the depth of a lot of the rest of the record.

Learn You Inside Out has always been the underdog song of this album – enough said. I remember Ricky said it was his favourite, and I’m glad Jason’s brought it back into rotation over the last eight years.

And Signs of Life… what a song. This was an early favourite of J’s that he mentioned on his blog way back when. Easily could have made the record as the closing song, though I do adore the redone Storm and see how ending with that one changed the album’s tone to be more positive (final lyric: stating “everything’s alright” instead of questioning “can April hours spring signs of life in me?”).

This album dealt with more nuanced, complex emotional ideas than the previous couple albums had, and I think Jason really grew as a singer with it too. The Joke is one of his best performances ever, he felt more sure-footed across the board, and the live shows really took on a new level post-2007, especially vocally.

Here’s the summary for Who We Are! Next up, Smoke & Mirrors!

[robert]

Next up, their biggest album to date at the time! I’m including the Deluxe tracks in here because this was the first album where that version was more common on shelves, and pretty consistent across retailers.

Best song:

• All In
• Nerve Damage
• Had Enough
• Halfway Gone
• It Is What It Is
• From Where You Are
• Smoke & MIrrors
• Falling In
• Wrecking Ball
• Here Tomorrow Gone Today
• By Your Side
• In Your Skin
• All That I’m Asking For
• Crash & Burn
• Near-Life Experience

Worst song:

• All In
• Nerve Damage
• Had Enough
• Halfway Gone
• It Is What It Is
• From Where You Are
• Smoke & Mirrors
• Falling In
• Wrecking Ball
• Here Tomorrow Gone Today
• By Your Side
• In Your Skin
• All That I’m Asking For
• Crash & Burn
• Near-Life Experience

Most underrated song:

• All In
• Nerve Damage
• Had Enough
• Halfway Gone
• It Is What It Is
• From Where You Are
• Smoke & Mirrors
• Falling In
• Wrecking Ball
• Here Tomorrow Gone Today
• By Your Side
• In Your Skin
• All That I’m Asking For
• Crash & Burn
• Near-Life Experience

Best b-side:

• All That I’m Asking For
• Crash & Burn
• Everything (Live In Studio)
• Near-Life Experience
• Don’t Wake Me When It’s Over
• Best of Me

Let’s hear what you have to say for this one!

[disarray4]

Good to be hear from this topic again. I was starting to miss it actually. I’m looking forward to read what everyone’s thoughts are about this album.

You can hear this album was made to reach Europe again after they haven’t been in Europe for 7 years. A lot of songs are radio friendly. Especially Halfway Gone. That song reach the number 12 in the charts in the Netherlands. It’s a stuck in your head song, but not of their best imo. Some songs are quiet different than we knew from them, like Here tomorrow gone today and Wrecking ball (Bryce’s vocals are amazing though) still a nice album.

For best i go for Nerve Damage. What a song! Really rock n roll in there. Especially live. I love that Bluesy guitar solo. It’s something we never heard from them before. I really like it.

For worst i go for Falling in. It’s feels i little too cheesy to me. It’s nice song, but nothing special.

For most underrated i go for Smoke and mirrors. It’s that classic Lifehouse sound i like from them. I think By your side is a good underrated song too. Especially when you know where Jason wrote that song for.

For best B-Side i go for All that i’m asking for. I can’t explain why i love that song so much, but for some kind of reason i listen to this song over and over again and i never get tired of it. Near life experience feels a little boring but amazing at the same time. It has something beautiful. I really like that bass line. Don’t wake me when it’s over feels a little too close to smoke and mirrors, but a little slower. But it’s a really good B-Side. I like it that they played that song live a few times after some requests.

[snowfist]

I remember I was initially really excited with the album concept. The duality of pop/polished vs rock/guitar-driven in an album. But I was let down with the execution. I shared this sentiment in different threads before this, but I feel like this album was overproduced. It can works for some songs like Halfway Gone but songs like Had Enough, By Your Side, It Is What It Is feel worse because of it. Lyrically, it’s also not some of Jason’s best works which made sense since he brought in outside co-writers as he looked for inspiration elsewhere.

best song for me would be Smoke & Mirrors. I thought Jason sounded really good here. very Americana, which they explored the sound even further in Almeria.

worst song - Falling In. it feels like a studio decision to include this song rather than the band, I might be wrong haha. I always feel like one of the b-sides songs can replace Falling In.

most underrated song - In Your Skin. I don’t think they ever perform this song live. actually you know what, this song might do wonders in Jason style of reimagine he does these days. wishful thinking.

best b-sides - Don’t Wake Me When It’s Over. actually I like all of them even the halfway gone remix haha. but DWMWIO is the winner here, at least for me. I don’t know how to properly articulate this, but everything about this song feels right to me. the melody, the way it flows and builds till the end, the chorus. I feel if DWMWIO is on regular track listing, it would get more attention it deserved.

dunno about you guys but IF DWMWIO, All That I’m Asking For, Crash & Burn, Near-Life Experience replaced some of the songs like Had Enough, Falling In, It Is What It Is, From Where You Are (think it should be a bonus track) I believe it would make for a stronger and cohesive album. But then again, it might not fit the Smoke & Mirrors duality concept. just my 2 cents.