No Name Face is an auspicious debut from a band seemingly made to rule the airwaves. The insinuating melodies that mark Lifehouse's radio-friendly sound are not unlike those of matchbox twenty or Live in their softer moments. From the first single, "Hanging by a Moment," to the emotive and uplifting "Quasimodo" and the wonderful "Trying" (think Crowded House at their lilting best), Lifehouse are self-possessed and focused. Young singer-songwriter Jason Wade (the son of two ministers) imbues Lifehouse's vibe with a spiritual quality that's never heavy-handed, delivering the goods with the authority of an experienced troubadour. No Name Face may be a first offering from a young band, but it looks to signal the beginning of an estimable career. --Katherine Turman
Who We Are is another set of rousing anthems from this reflective trio. On their fourth full-length, the Los Angeles three-piece sets the template for a harder-rocking effort with dynamic opener "Disarray," in which singer/guitarist Jason Wade admits he doesn't know where he's going, but "wouldn't have it any other way." The band rocks even harder on album highlight "The Joke," a song inspired by a real-life suicide. It's a risk that pays off, although the lyrics almost make the subject seem more defiant than regretful. Throughout the record, Rick Woolstenhulme's drums sound like they're cranked up to 11--not that there's anything wrong with that (Bryce Soderberg holds his own on bass). In other words, the music isn't shy (or subtle), but Wade's words read more like questions than answers. Granted, closing number "Storm," with Rocco DeLuca on organ, brings things to a gentle close, but most tracks follow in the over-sized footsteps of post-grunge precursors, like Live and Stone Temple Pilots. Then again, as Abigail Van Buren used to say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." If Lifehouse ever find what they're looking for, to paraphrase yet another sage, they may as well pack it in. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
