Lifehouse’s “Hanging By A Moment” is now a pop classic and was my #1 song of 2001 (as well as, of course, Billboard’s #1 Single of that Year, despite not reaching #1 on the Hot 100). In some ways I can’t believe it’s almost 10 years old. But when you listen to Smoke and Mirrors, the band’s 5th album and first in about 3 years, you can hear how tight this quartet has become in just about every aspect. The future of Lifehouse is in part of the modern rock institution – the band will always have great fans to support them, and will always release consistent, competent records. I think Smoke and Mirrors will be regarded as an exception among all of their records.
To me, the record loses its stride, but you have to immerse yourself in seven songs about heartbreak and ending relationships to get there. Those songs are brilliant. Anyone who has ever been through any of this can completely relate. Particularly strong are the final straw of “Had Enough”, featuring and co-written by Chris Daughtry (along with singer Jason Wade, manager/co-producer Jude Cole, and Richard Marx too); the single “Halfway Gone” (video below), one of my favourites thus far of 2010; and the truthful, telling title track. I enjoy the energy level in “Nerve Damage” and “Wrecking Ball”, and the thoughtfulness of “It Is What It Is”.
Smoke and Mirrors veers a little off course with “Falling In”, a nice enough song co-written by Kevin Rudolf (who also co-wrote “Halfway Gone”), but it doesn’t really belong here. I know having a constant theme of heartache and breaking up may seem relentless, but the album title says it all – and it’s a bitch when love does turn into an unfortunate game.
Lifehouse as a band is finding its own niche in sound too, though on “Here Tomorrow, Gone Today”, it sounds uncomfortably like Collective Soul. The quartet (featuring my fellow Canuck bassist Bryce Soderberg) is tight and Jason’s voice has blossomed. I think having Jude Cole on board is such a bonus too. Smoke and Mirrors has some of the band’s best melodies, and they remind me at times of Jude’s seminal 1990 album A View From 3rd Street (you can hear and watch Jude’s “Baby It’s Tonight below).
Make sure that you add Smoke And Mirrors to your collection. Lifehouse now has a repertoire of many other favourites – “Sick Cycle Carousel”, “Everything”, “You And Me”, “Spin” – which you can hear on their current tour.
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