 | Tracklist:
1. Hanging by a Moment
2. Sick Cycle Carousel
3. Unknown
4. Somebody Else's Song
5. Trying
6. Only One
7. Simon
8. Cling and Clatter
9. Breathing
10. Quasimodo
11. Somewhere in Between
12. Everything
13. What's Wrong With That
14. Fool
Release Date: 2000 | |
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On 1 Lists
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2 of 2 thought this review was well written
I’m sure most of you have heard radio rock darlings Lifehouse at one point or another. They hit substantial success with the single “Hanging By a Moment” in 2000, a high spirited anthem from this debut album. The vast majority of No Name Face is actually quite easily radio friendly material, as it is built with the widely accessible foundation of building verses to exploding choruses filled to the brim with sing-a-longs, as well as its fair share of ballads. Everything a casual rock fan would want is here, and there’s really not a bad song on the album. The problem is that the biggest reason there aren’t any truly bad songs is Lifehouse never abandon this ever so simple formula, in effect never having the chance to screw it up. Of course that in itself can’t be legitimately considered a flaw because the band is just staying where they’re efficient, which happens to be a pretty primitive style of rock. It's just that the simple nature of the album gets terribly boring and stale because the songwriting just doesn't do much of anything.
What is Good
There are some nice, memorable licks littered throughout. The aforementioned single and opener “Hanging By a Moment” presents one of the best with the guitar’s plucking during the verses and a chorus infectious enough to infiltrate your brain for a few days. The vocal performance is also solid to good on the entire album. Frontman and guitarist Jason Wade’s grungy voice is nothing you haven’t heard before, but it fits the music like a glove and he has a fairly impressive range. The production is seamless, with everything mixed so you can hear it, nothing overpowering anything else. You can actually hear the bass, and Bryce Soderberg’s bubbly lines usually tangle with the guitar lines to create dual-part riffs of sorts, not being content to always follow the guitar. The drumming is nothing to shout home about, but it gets the job done and helps everything come together to make for solid rock akin to Goo Goo Dolls. As mentioned before, there aren’t any bad songs to be found, so if you’re in the mood for this, you can really throw on any track and enjoy it…
What isn’t so Good
…but after a few tracks, you’re going to want to find something more interesting. It becomes quickly apparent that there’s not much to No Name Face at all. The band rely heavily on a formula that consists entirely of verses that serve to simply build to a bombast chorus with a bridge thrown in for (redundant) kicks. The extent of variation is the fact that there are upbeat rockers and chill out ballads, with about a 4:1 ratio of the two. Again, I’m not blaming them for sticking to that album formula, as it is widely used because it is successful; I’m blaming them for not injecting any creativity in their songwriting. To put it quite simply, unless you are bewildered by the simplest things in life, you will be bored to tears by the end of the album.
There are so many factors that go into how much you enjoy any given album. It depends greatly on your mood, what situation you are in, what emotions you have been experiencing lately, the list goes on and on. Unfortunately for this album, you more than likely will have to be in some very specific situations to enjoy it. It works fine as background music, especially if you don’t want to pay any attention to it. It also can’t hurt to play a couple tracks at a party, as long as you have the appropriate attendees. The problem comes when you listen to No Name Face for more than a few songs; its barebones nature will surely leave more to be desired at some point. While I can say every song here is decent to good, there has to be an asterix at the end of that sentence disclaiming the fact that if you’ve heard two or three songs, you’ve heard it all. It’s not a bad album for what it is, but it’s certainly not great, and you’re better off downloading the singles because they’re the best examples of what Lifehouse do best.
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i used to really like this but haven't listened to it in at least 5 years. great review but i think you should have griped about the drums more. he really is a TERRIBLE drummer. makes Lars Ulrich sound godly.
Digging: Drudkh - Microcosmos
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uh oh throwback format
Digging: Coalesce - There Is Nothing New Under the Sun
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Ah Lifehouse!! Good review.
| | | Album Rating: 3
They hit moderate success with the single “Hanging By a Moment” in 2000
yes, a double-platinum record is truly a moderate success
Digging: Saves the Day - Stay What You Are | | | Album Rating: 2.5
oh jom pffft same thing
Digging: Wilco - Being There | | |
oh jom pffft same thing
Tard.
Anyway, I am firm in the belief that Hanging By A Moment is the greatest mainstream rock track ever.
Digging: Owl City - Ocean Eyes
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
yeah it's a good song
| | | Album Rating: 3
this was wicked sweet when I was 13.
good review, I agree the choruses are the payoff to this band. Hence why they take such a deep nose dive after 'Stanley Climbfall' -- their songs just implode on themselves.
Digging: A Sunny Day In Glasgow - Ashes Grammar | | |
Just picked up "Hanging By A Moment", the single, for 50c in a local opshop and I have to agree it is one of the better mainstream rock songs
Digging: The John Butler Trio - Sunrise Over Sea
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