Stanley Climbfall

by

Lifehouse

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Stanley Climbfall is the second studio album released by Lifehouse, being the last album with bass player Sergio Andrade and the first album with current drummer Rick Woolstenhulme. Usually overlooked, Stanley Climbfall falls subject to “the back of the shelf” largely in part to the success of the very popular debut release No Name Face. A band usually recognized by its pop-chart singles, Lifehouse released the song “Spin”, but it never gained as much popularity for the band as “Hanging By a Moment”, released off No Name Face. Though Stanley Climbfall may be easily overlooked, it contains a sound which is both captivating and original for the band, making it an important release in influence of the band’s following studio albums, especially of Who We Are.

The lyrical content of Stanley Climbfall nicely coincides with that of No Name Face, with vocalist/guitarist Jason Wade dealing with the personal demons of his life. Jason Wade’s writing is also influenced by his Christian upbringing. Although the lyrical content is rather somber and self-involved, the album overall has a more upbeat tempo than No Name Face and their eponymous third studio release. Mixing a beautiful post-grunge sound, much like that of fellow Californians Switchfoot, with the somber lyrics provides a very thought provoking experience for the listener, as all Lifehouse albums do. The band uses some simple guitar riffs and drum beats, layered over a more harsh electric fuzz, to produce an interesting, though not entirely unique, sound. While Jason Wade’s vocals may sometimes be mumbled or hard to understand, it would be an understatement to call them emotionally inclined. Through each song, you can hear Wade pour his heart into every note of sorrow and grief. Most closely resembling Who We Are, Stanley Climbfall may not be the best release by Lifehouse, but is certainly an underappreciated member of the band’s collection.