• Voto:
Prima di tutto, bisogna dire che i Lifehouse non sono un vero e proprio gruppo, quanto piuttosto un progetto iniziato dalla DreamWorks record nel 2000 per dare spazio al talentuoso e giovanissimo Jason Wade, che si può considerare quindi il grande cuore pulsante del gruppo.
Attivo nel campo musicale fin da quindicenne, il giovane (tra l'altro figlio di due ministri americani) riesce a realizzare un Demo nell 1999, che su EBay oggi si vende a migliaia di dollari, e, l'anno successivo, ormai ventenne, addiritura un album con i due amici Sergio Andrade e John Palmer, rispettivamente al basso ed alla batteria; quest'album è proprio "No Name Face", che sul piano delle vendite supererò di molto le più rosee aspettative della DreamWorks vendendo milioni di copie in tutto il mondo.
Sull'album si può dire che, nonostante la forte influenza della casa discografica sul prodotto, sia dotato di una buona personalità proprio grazie al tanto lodato Wade, songwriter di tutte le canzoni dell'album e vocalist oggettivamente impeccabile; l'album alterna pezzi pop rock (i singoli) con pezzi più intimistici e acustici, ove si riscontra maggiormente il songwriting ispirato e di ottima fattura; certo, il dualismo di genere dell'album ha alzato anche diverse critiche sul debutto dei Lifehouse, che comunque vedremo in seguito, col prodotto già esaminato.
L'album si apre con quella che è LA canzone dei Lifehouse, "Hanging By A Moment"; per dare un idea del successo di questo brano vi basti sapere che fu nominato dal Billoard Music Award come "canzone più ascoltata del 2001", superando artisti affermati come Janet Jackson ed Alicia Keys, e fu scelto addiritura dalla Apple come brano preinserito negli I Pod da 4 GB.. Detto questo, è un buon brano? Non vi starò a dire che è grande musica perchè non lo è, ma sicuramente è un pezzo rock vivace ed orecchiabile che svolge bene il suo ruolo di opener; si prosegue con "Sick Circle Carousel", che nella mente di Jason sarebbe stato il singolo trascinante dell'album; non lo è stato, ma comunque offre un'orecchiabilità ed un immediatezza tale che avrebbe potuto esserlo senza problemi, oltre che tematiche più profonde rispetto al brano precedente, ossia la nostra tendenza a ripetere gli stessi errori piuttosto che imparare da essi.
Da qui il sound si ammorbidisce, acquistando al contempo melodie e testi più intimistici, con però qualche capitombolo qualitativo: se "Unknown", "Only One" e "Quasimodo" possono considerarsi brani riusciti ed effettivamente dolci e piacevoli, altri come "Trying", "Somebody Else's Song" e "Simon" mi paiono invece episodi noiosi ed eccessivamente ripetitivi.
Dedico un discorso a parte solo a "Breathing", ultimo singolo estratto, che considero una grandissima canzone sia nella melodia scelta sia nel songwriting:"I am hanging on every word you say and even if you don't want to speak tonight, that's alright" "cause I want nothing more than to sit outside heaven's door and listen to you breathing." e la conclusiva "Everything", con cui i Lifehouse, per dirla all'americana, dimostrano di saper "save the best for the last": "Everything" è la canzone più celebrata dalla critica e pur con i suoi 6 minuti di durata, riesce a non annoiare e a mostrare i punti principali di tutto l'album, con una prima parte acustica, quindi orchestrale e rockeggiante.
Dunque, detto ciò, è un buon prodotto? Sicuramente è un album che fa discutere, in quanto è considerato dai fan della band profondo, interrogativo e profondamente spirituale, mentre qualcuno invece lo trova "Rock commerciale da radio" o anche "Fin troppo sdolcinato e ripetitivo"; io credo che la verità stia nel mezzo, in quanto è chiaramente un prodotto da mainstream, ma sicuramente superiore per serietà ed impegno (tra l'altro di ragazzi all'epoca solo ventenni) a molti altri prodotti di genere simile, che se vi attira, vi potrebbe facilmente portare a valutare l'album ben più di quanto l'abbia valutato io.
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01 Hanging by a Moment (03:39)
Desperate for changing, starving for truth
I'm closer to where I started, I'm chasing after you
I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held on to
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you
Forgetting all I'm lacking, completely incomplete
I'll take your invitation, you take all of me now
I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held on to
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you
I'm living for the only thing I know
I'm running and not quite sure where to go
And I don't know what I'm diving into
Just hanging by a moment here with you
There's nothing else to lose, there's nothing else to find
There's nothing in the world that can change my mind
There is nothing else
There is nothing else
There is nothing else
Desperate for changing, starving for truth
I'm closer to where I started, I'm chasing after you
I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held on to
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you
I'm living for the only thing I know
I'm running and not quite sure where to go
And I don't know what I'm diving into
Just hanging by a moment here with you
Just hanging by a moment
Hanging by a moment
Hanging by a moment
Hanging by a moment here with you
02 Sick Cycle Carousel (04:25)
If shame had a face I think it
would kind of look like mine
If it had a home would it be my eyes
Would you believe me if I said I'm tired of this
Well here we go now one more time
I tried to climb your steps
I tried to chase you down
I tried to see how low I could get it down to the ground
I tried to earn my way
I tried to tame this mind
You better believe that I tried to beat this
[CHORUS]
So when will this end it goes on and on
Over and over and over again
Keep spinning around I know that it won't stop
Till I step down from this for good
I never thought I'd end up here
Never thought I'd be standing where I am
I guess I kinda thought it would be easier than this
I guess I was wrong now one more time
I tried to climb your steps
I tried to chase you down
I tried to see how long I could get it down to the ground
I tried to earn my way
I tried to tame this mind
You better believe that I tried to beat this
[CHORUS]
So when will this end it goes on and on
Over and over and over again
Keep spinning around I know that it won't stop
Till I step down from this for good
Sick cycle carousel
This is a sick cycle, yeah
Sick cycle carousel
This is a sick cycle, yeah
[CHORUS]
So when will this end it goes on and on
Over and over and over again
Keep spinning around I know that it won't stop
Till I step down from this for good
[CHORUS]
So when will this end it goes on and on
Over and over and over again
Keep spinning around I know that it won't stop
Till I step down from this for good
Sick cycle carousel
Sick cycle carousel
Sick cycle carousel...
03 Unknown (04:08)
This doubt is screaming in my face
This familiar place sheltered and concealed
and if this night won't let me rest
don't let me second guess
what I know to be real
put away all I know for tonight
and maybe I just might learn to let it go
take my security from me
maybe finally I won't have to know everything
I am falling into grace to the unknown
to where you are and faith
makes everybody scared
it's the unknown the don't know
that keeps me hanging on and on and on to you
I got nothing left to defend
I cannot pretend that everything makes sense
but does it really matter now
if I do not know how
to figure this thing out
I am falling into grace to the unknown
to where you are and faith
makes everybody scared
it's the unknown the don't know
that keeps me hanging on and on and on to you
I'm against myself again
trying to fit these pieces in
walking on a cloud of dust to get to you
I am falling into grace to the unknown
to where you are and faith
makes everybody scared
it's the unknown the don't know
that keeps me hanging on
and I am falling into grace to the unknown
to where you are and faith
makes everybody scared
it's the unknown the don't know
that keeps me hanging on and on and on to you
04 Somebody Else's Song (04:38)
Can't change this feeling
I'm way out of touch.
Can't change this meaning--
it means too much.
Never been so lonely,
never felt so good.
Can't be the only one
misunderstood.
I remind myself of somebody else.
I'm feeling like I'm chasing,
like I'm facing myself alone.
I've got somebody else's thoughts in my head
I want some of my own
I want some of my own
I want some of my own
Can you see me up here?
Would you bring me back down?
I've been living to see my fears
as they fall to the ground.
I remind myself of somebody else.
I'm Feeling like I'm chasing,
like I'm facing myself alone.
I've got somebody else's thoughts in my head.
I want some of my own
I want some of my own
I want some of my own
Am I hiding behind my doubts?
Are they hiding behind me?
I'm closer to finding out
it doesn't mean anything.
I remind myself of somebody else now.
Feeling like I'm chasing,
like I'm facing myself alone.
I've got somebody else's thoughts in my head.
I want some of my own
I want some of my own
I want some of my own
05 Trying (03:53)
Could you let down your hair
Be transparent for awhile, just a little while
To see if you're human after all
Honesty is a hard attribute to find
When we all want to seem like
We've got it all figured out
Well let me be the first to say that I don't have a clue
I don't have all the answers
Ain't gonna to pretend like I do
Just trying
To find my way
Trying
To find my way the best I know how
Well I haven't memorized all of the cute things to say
But I'm working on it
Maybe I'll master this art form someday
If i quote all the lines off the top of my head
Would you believe
That I fully understand all these things I've read
I'm just trying
To find my way
Trying
To find my way
Trying
To find my way the best that I know how
Well I haven't got it all figured out quite yet but
Even if it takes my whole life to get to where I need to be
And if I should fall to the bottom of the end
I'll be one step back to you, and
I'm trying to find my way
Trying to find my way
I'm trying to find my way
Trying to find my way...
07 Simon (06:02)
Catch your breath,
Hit the wall,
Scream out loud,
As you start to crawl,
Back in your cage,
The only place,
Where they will,
Leave you alone,
'Cause the weak will
Seek the weaker until they've broken them,
Could you get it back again?
Would it be the same?
Fulfillment to their lack of strength
At your expense,
Left you with no defense,
They tore it down.
And I have felt the same, as you I've felt the same,
As you I've felt the same
Locked inside,
The only place,
Where you feel sheltered,
Where you feel safe,
You lost yourself,
In your search to find,
Something else to hide behind,
Cause the fearful always preyed upon your confidence,
Did they see the consequence?
They pushed you around?
The arrogant build kingdoms made of the different ones,
Breaking them 'til they've become,
Just another crown,
And I have felt the same, as you I've felt the same,
As you I've felt the same, as you I've felt the same.
Refuse to feel,
Anything at all,
Refuse to slip,
Refuse to Fall,
Can't be weak,
Can't stand still,
You watch your back,
'Cause no one will,
You don't know why they had to go this far,
Traded your worth for these scars,
For you're only Company,
Don't believe the lies that they have told to you,
Not one word was true,
You're alright you're alright
You're all right
And I have felt the same, as you I've felt the same,
As you I've felt the same, as you I've felt the same.
08 Cling and Clatter (04:31)
too many voices it won't take long
which one's right and which one's wrong
and yours is most likely to be misunderstood
screaming in tongues
at the top of my lungs
'til I find you 'til you found me
somehow I always knew that you would
and I am contemplating matters
all this cling and clatter
in my head and what you said
is ringing, ringing faster
and it's all good if you would
stop the world from making sense
and if I could just realize
it doesn't really matter
doesn't really matter
doesn't really matter
if I could touch
the sound of silence now
you know I would if I knew how
to make these intentions
come around
and I'm hearing without listening
and believing every word that
you're not saying
speaking without a sound
and I am contemplating matters
all this cling and clatter
in my head and what you said
is ringing, ringing faster
and it's all good if you would
stop the world from making sense
and if I could just realize
it doesn't really matter
doesn't really matter
doesn't really matter
trapped inside
of these four walls
walking brainless muppet dolls
mushroom face
beneath the tangles
bleeding silhouette inside
dancing like an angel would
and it's all good if you would
stop the world from making sense
and if I could just realize
it doesn't really matter
doesn't really matter
doesn't really matter
and it's all good if you would
stop the world from making sense
and if I could just realize
it doesn't really matter
doesn't really matter
all this cling and clatter
09 Breathing (04:27)
I'm finding my way back to sanity again
Though I don't really know what
I'm gonna do when I get there
Take a breath and hold on tight
Spin around one more time
And gracefully fall back to the arms of grace
'Cause I am hanging on every word you say
And even if you don't want to speak tonight
That's all right, all right with me
'Cause I want nothing more than to
Sit outside Heaven's door and listen to you breathing
Is where I want to be, yeah...
Where I wanna be...
I am looking past the shadows
In my mind into the truth and
I'm trying to identify
The voices in my head
God, which one is you
Let me feel one more time
What it feels like to feel alive
And break these calluses off of me
One more time
'Cause I am hanging on every word you say
And even if you don't want to speak tonight
That's all right, all right with me
'Cause I want nothing more than to sit
Outside your door and listen to you breathing
Is where I want to be, yeah...
I don't want a thing from you
Bet you're tired of me, waiting
For the scraps to fall
Off of your table to the ground
La Da Da La Da Da Da Da Da
'Cause I just want to be here now
'Cause I am hanging on every word you're sayin'
Even if you don't wanna speak tonight, that's alright, alright with me
'Cause I want nothing more
Than to sit outside Heaven's door
And listen to you breathing
It's where I wanna be, yeah...(x2)
Where I wanna be...
Where I wanna be...
10 Quasimodo (04:34)
You could be right and I'll be real
Honesty won't be a pain you'll have to feel
'Cause I don't need your approval to find my worth
I've been trapped inside of my own mind
Afraid to open my eyes 'cause of what I'd find
I don't want to live like this anymore
There goes my pain
There goes my chains
Did you see them fall
There goes this feeling that has no meaning
There goes the world off of my shoulders
There goes the world off of my back
There it goes
Does it scare you that
I can be something different than you
Would it make you feel more comfortable if I wasn't
You can't control me
You can't take away from me who I am
There goes my pain
There goes my chains
Did you see them fall
There goes this feeling that has no meaning
There goes the world off of my shoulders
There goes the world off of my back
You can't change me
You can't break me
There goes the world off of my shoulders
There goes the world off of my back
Have you ever felt that your only comfort was your cage
You're not alone
I have felt the same as you
Have you ever felt like your secrets give you away
You're not alone
I have been there, too
Everyone is looking
and everyone is laughing but I think everyone feels the same
Everybody wants to feel okay
Everybody wants to
Everybody wants to feel
There goes my pain
There goes my chains
Did you see them fall
There goes this feeling that has no meaning
There goes the world off of my shoulders
There goes the world off of my back
'Cause I don't want it
I don't want it
You can't change me
You can't break me
There goes the world off of my shoulders
There goes the world off of my back
There it goes
11 Somewhere in Between (04:16)
I can't be losing sleep over this, no, I can't
And now I cannot stop pacing
Give me a few hours, I'll have this all sorted out
If my mind would just stop racing
'Cause I cannot stand still
I can't be this unsturdy
This cannot be happening
This is over my head but underneath my feet
'Cause by tomorrow morning I'll have this thing beat
And everything will be back to the way that it was
I wish that it was just that easy
'Cause I'm waiting for tonight
Then waiting for tomorrow
And I'm somewhere in between
What is real and just a dream...
What is real and just a dream...
What is real and just a dream...
Would you catch me if I fall out of what I fell in
Don't be surprised if I collapse down at your feet again
I don't want to run away from this
I know that I just don't need this
'Cause I cannot stand still
I can't be this unsturdy
This cannot be happening
'Cause I'm waiting for tonight
Then waiting for tomorrow
And I'm somewhere in between
What is real and just a dream...
What is real and just a dream...
What is real and just a dream...
What is real and just a dream...
12 Everything (06:09)
Find me here,
And speak to me.
I want to feel you,
I need to hear you.
You are the light,
That's leading me,
To the place,
Where I find peace again.
You are the strength,
That keeps me walking.
You are the hope,
That keeps me trusting.
You are the life,
Into my soul.
You are my purpose,
You're everything.
And how can I stand here with you,
And not be moved by you?
Would you tell me,
How could it be,
Any better than this?
You calm the storms,
And you give me rest.
You hold me in your hand,
You wont let me fall.
You still my heart,
And you take my breath away.
Would you take me in,
Take me deeper now.
And how can I stand here with you,
And not be moved by you?
Would you tell me,
How could it be,
Any better than this?
And how can I stand here with you,
And not be moved by you?
Would you tell me,
How could it be,
Any better than this?
Cuz you're all I want,
You're all I need,
You're everything, everything.
You're all I want,
You're all I need,
You're everything, everything.
You're all I want,
You're all I need,
You're everything, everything.
You're all I want,
You're all I need,
You're everything, everything.
And how can I stand here with you,
And not be moved by you?
Would you tell me,
How could it be,
Any better than this?
And how can I stand here with you,
And not be moved by you?
Would you tell me,
How could it be,
Any better, any better than this?
And how can I stand here with you,
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me,
How could it be,
Any better than this?
Would you tell me,
How could it be,
Any better than this...
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