Review - Lifehouse - Almeria

I’ve never been the biggest Lifehouse fan, but it isn’t really for a good reason. Sometimes a band has something – their sound, their style, the lead singer’s voice – that just hits me the wrong way, and I can’t get into what they are doing. Despite their past hits, I always switched off the radio when the pop/rock band started to play.

‘Almeria’ changes all of that. The album is a perfect example of how a band can grow up, shift their sound, and still hold on to who they are. Their sixth LP is a signal that they are finally ready to really embrace their adult pop/adult contemporary fans and move into a new era.

Much of the band’s previous work was focused around intense emotions, and while that is great, we as people don’t always feel the angst of youth. Songwriters who continually try to do what they’ve always done, even when they no longer feel it in their heart of hearts can rarely pull it off. Lead singer and songwriter Jason Wade probably knows this, so don’t expect any “Hanging By A  Moment”. Instead, be ready for a light, happy record. One that you can play all the way through and that leaves you with a smile.

Oh, and they try country a little bit, but not in a John Mayer balls-to-the-wall kind of way. Just a light twang here and there. It works for them, don’t worry.

Listen to:  “Between The Raindrops ft. Natasha Bedingfield)”, “Nobody Listen”, “Right Back Home”