Lifehouse
Los Angeles, California7 reviews across 3 releases
Lifehouse is a Southern California rock band that began in 1999 as Blyss, growing out of a home-church worship setting before Jason Wade's songwriting brought it to DreamWorks. The early music combined polished modern-rock guitars with introspective writing about spiritual unease and dependence on God; its religious language could also pass as romantic or existential. On the 2000 debut No Name Face, Wade's low, grainy vocal and layered guitar arrangements framed radio-sized hooks such as "Hanging by a Moment" without abandoning slower material. The 2002 follow-up Stanley Climbfall moved toward faster tempos, louder electric guitars, and more overt experimentation, while retaining the recurring imagery of standing, climbing, and falling. By the self-titled Lifehouse in 2005, the songs had shifted toward a more stripped-back pop format.
In 2004, bassist Sergio Andrade left and Bryce Soderberg joined the group, changing the lineup that had made the first two albums; guitarist Sean Woolstenhulme also departed, with Ben Carey entering during the same period. The band continued touring and recording, but its commercial position weakened after Stanley Climbfall, and the 2005 self-titled album marked a move from DreamWorks to Geffen. In July 2013, Lifehouse announced a temporary hiatus after parting with Geffen, as Wade, Soderberg, and drummer Rick Woolstenhulme Jr. turned to separate projects. Carey left in December 2014, and Steve Stout later covered lead guitar on live dates. Lifehouse returned with Out of the Wasteland in 2015, after which the members again pursued individual work.
3 releases reviewed
Stanley Climbfall
Lifehouse