This came out in 2002 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Musicians are not always the best at resisting temptation. Take earnest L.A. pop-rockers Lifehouse.
They scored a hit with Hanging By A Moment from their 2000 debut album No Name Face. With that kind of success, it’s tempting to try to repeat it by rounding up the same producer and mixer and heading right back into the studio to make another album that sounds exactly the same. Which is exactly the mistake they’ve made on this unengaging followup Stanley Climbfall. Singer-guitarist Jason Wade still sings like the love child of Scott Weiland and Eddie Vedder. He still writes earnestly mopey ballads and brooding FM rockers (like first single Spin) that balance emotional punch with melodic depth. And all of those tunes are gorgeously massaged by the skilled hands of producer Ron Aniello and mixer Brendan O’Brien, who darken them with moody arrangements and sweeten them with keyboards and strings. It’s all well and good — the biggest problem with Stanley Climbfall is you feel like you’ve heard it all already. “I’ve been down this road before,” Wade sings. You and me both, dude.
