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Out of the Wasteland

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Out of the Wasteland
All of the band's members standing near a building
Studio album by
Lifehouse
ReleasedMay 26, 2015 (2015-05-26)
Genre
Length45:42
LabelIronworks
Producer
Lifehouse chronology
Almería
(2012) 		Out of the Wasteland
(2015)
Singles from Out of the Wasteland
  1. "Flight"
    Released: November 18, 2014
  2. "Hurricane"
    Released: January 27, 2015

Out of the Wasteland is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band Lifehouse, released May 26, 2015, through Ironworks Music. It debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's US Independent Albums chart.

Background

Hiatus and solo projects

After a lukewarm reception to the band's previous album Almeria, Lifehouse refrained from touring and announced in July 2013 that they chose to leave Interscope Records to spend time focusing on each member's respective solo project.[1] Drummer Rick Woolstenhulme, Jr. began touring with the Goo Goo Dolls; bassist Bryce Soderberg initiated a new band titled KOMOX; lead guitarist Ben Carey left the band to continue work in country rock band Elvis Monroe; and singer/songwriter Jason Wade worked on a solo record titled Paper Cuts.[2][3][4][5]

In his home studio, Wade wrote approximately 70 songs in genres including country and folk over the course of 18 months.[1][6] Said Wade, "as soon as I wrote "Flight" and "Hurricane," that's when it really started to sink in that I wanted to get the band back together... Those songs started to feel like quintessential Lifehouse tracks. I called the guys up to finish the album together. This is a full circle for us. It really sees us returning to our roots."[7]

Writing

The majority of the record was written in 2013, however several previously-unreleased songs were recorded and included in the final release. "Wish" was written in 2001 and intended to be the final track on the band's 2002 album Stanley Climbfall, before being replaced with "The Beginning"; played on tour in 2011 and recorded with Jim Cox in April 2014, Wade stated that he was glad the song "finally made its way".[8][9] "Stardust" was a 2013 song written and performed by bassist Bryce Soderberg with his side project KOMOX before being rerecorded as a Lifehouse song. "Central Park" was written in 2007 and originally tracked just prior to the March 2010 release of Smoke & Mirrors, while "Angeline" was written prior to the Almería sessions.[2][10] "Wish", "Central Park", "Clarity", and "Angeline" were originally slated for Wade's shelved solo album, Paper Cuts, initially set for a 2013 release.[11] "Hourglass" began in the early 1990s as an instrumental piece by producer Jude Cole and film score composer James Newton Howard, before resurfacing during the Out of the Wasteland sessions; Cole suggested Wade write the lyrics and finish the song with Howard.[12]

Release

Lifehouse released "Flight" independently for digital download on November 18, and announced that a new album would be released in April 2015 titled Seven.[13][14] On November 20, the band began a contest through online music design agency Creative Allies for fans and graphic designers to create the official album cover.[15] The contest closed on 15 December, and a winner was chosen in early January.

On January 27, Lifehouse revealed through Billboard.com that the album would be titled Out of the Wasteland and released May 19, 2015 under Ironworks Music.[2][16] Due to the name change, a new album cover was revealed, incorporating elements of the winning design.[17] Along with the track listing for the standard edition of the album, the first radio single "Hurricane" was released for digital download the same day.[18]

On April 7, the album was made available for pre-order in a variety of collector's packages, with the release date moved back one week to May 26.[8] Simultaneously, the acoustic ballad "Wish" was made available for immediate download on iTunes.[8] On May 13, the band acoustically debuted "Yesterday's Son" for Billboard Magazine.[1] The standard edition of the album was featured on Pandora Premieres for full streaming on May 19.[19]

Promotion

Lifehouse announced that they would be opening for Nickelback during the second leg of their No Fixed Address Tour, from June 19 to August 29, 2015.[1] On June 23, they announced that the tour had been cancelled due to the health of Nickelback lead singer Chad Kroeger, and promised a European tour in the fall. The band began a headlining tour in Europe on September 15 with supporting act Raglans, stopped in Pasay, Philippines on October 8, and continued in Australia and New Zealand from October 11 to October 19, 2015. With the departure of former touring guitarist and band member Ben Carey, Steve Stout became Lifehouse' fourth touring member to date.

The band debuted eight new tracks, including "Hurricane", "One for the Pain", "Flight", and "Runaways" as a full band, and "Firing Squad", "Alien", "Yesterday's Son", and "H2O" acoustically.[20] "Angeline", "Wish" and "Stardust" had debuted live in 2011, 2012, and early 2015, respectively.[10][21][22] During his solo acoustic set, Wade notably debuted several rare, never-performed Blyss demoes from the late 1990s, including "Joshua" and "Eighties".[23]

Tour dates

Date City Venue
September 15, 2015 Amsterdam, Netherlands Melkweg
September 16, 2015 Groningen, Netherlands De Oosterpoort
September 17, 2015 Utrecht, Netherlands TivoliVrendenburg
September 19, 2015 Cologne, Germany Live Musik Hall Köln
September 20, 2015 Hamburg, Germany Docks
September 21, 2015 Berlin, Germany Kesselhaus, Berlin
September 23, 2015 Munich, Germany Theaterfabrik
September 24, 2015 Frankfurt, Germany Batschkapp Frankfurt
September 25, 2015 Paris, France Le Bataclan
September 26, 2015 Paris, France Les Étoiles
September 28, 2015 Dublin, Ireland Olympia Theatre
September 29, 2015 Glasgow, United Kingdom O2 ABC Glasgow
October 1, 2015 London, United Kingdom O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
October 2, 2015 Manchester, United Kingdom Manchester Academy
October 3, 2015 London, United Kingdom O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
October 8, 2015 Quezon City, Philippines MOA Arena, Pasay
October 11, 2015 Perth, Australia Astor Theatre Perth
October 13, 2015 Hindmarsh, Australia The Gov
October 14, 2015 Brisbane, Australia The Tivoli Brisbane
October 15, 2015 Melbourne, Australia Forum Melbourne
October 16, 2015 Sydney, Australia Big Top Sydney
October 19, 2015 Auckland, New Zealand Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[24]
Contact Music[25]
Cross Rhythms9/10[26]
Jesus Freak Hideout[27]
Melodic.net[28]
PluggedIn(Positive)[29]

Out of the Wasteland received positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine rates the album three stars out of five and states, "it is an immaculately constructed record, easing between insistent midtempo anthems and power ballads" that "indulge in middle-aged introspection".[24] Alex Lai for Contact Music describes the album as "ultimately a welcome return for the band who provide a number of genuinely worthy songs to the Lifehouse legacy".[25] Michael Weaver, giving the album four stars for Jesus Freak Hideout, writes, "Out of the Wasteland is a fine example of everything good about Lifehouse and anyone would be well-served to get this album today."[27] Rating the album a nine out of ten for Cross Rhythms, Philip Laing writes, "This is overall an impressive return to form by the mainstream stalwarts."[26] PluggedIn's Adam R. Holz comments on Wade's proclamation of returning to a more innocent place for writing, asserting that it "didn’t prevent Lifehouse's latest from overflowing with the kind of mature perspective on life and love, conflict and perseverance that no 17-year-old could ever articulate".[29] Johan Wippsson writes for Melodic.net that 'Firing Squad' and 'Central Park' are "top class where the band feels hungry and 'real' again", concluding that the album "should be considered as one of the greatest in the genre".[28]

Track listing

All tracks produced by Jason Wade, Jude Cole, and Chris "Winnie" Murguia; except "Stardust" produced by Bryce Soderberg and Tommy Walter.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hurricane"
3:09
2."One for the Pain"Wade3:43
3."Flight"Wade4:17
4."Runaways"
  • Wade
  • Cole
3:48
5."Firing Squad"
  • Wade
  • Cole
3:43
6."Wish"Wade2:42
7."Stardust"
3:56
8."Alien"Wade2:54
9."Central Park"Wade4:00
10."Hurt This Way"
  • Wade
  • Cole
  • Christian Burghardt
4:09
11."Yesterday's Son"Wade4:21
12."Hourglass"
5:00
Total length:45:42
iTunes version
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Hindsight"Wade4:23
14."You Are Not Alone"Wade4:08
Total length:54:13
Target deluxe edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Clarity"Wade4:26
14."Après la Vie"
  • Wade
  • Cole
3:15
15."Angeline"Wade4:16
16."Exhale"
  • Wade
  • Cole
3:51
Total length:1:01:27
Collector's edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."H2O"Wade4:52
Total length:50:34

Personnel

Lifehouse
Additional Musicians
  • Briana Bandy
  • Christian Burghardt
  • Gene Cipriano
  • Giovanna Clayton
  • Jesse Cole
  • Jude Cole
  • Jim Cox — string arrangements on "Wish"
  • Carmel Echols
  • Ashley Edner
  • Aaron Embry
  • Pelle Hillstrom
  • Peter Kent
  • Mitch Lerner
  • Brian Macleod
  • Chaz Mason
  • Chris "Winnie" Murguia
  • Samantha Nelson
  • James Newton Howard
  • Phil Parlapiano
  • Jordan Rogers
  • Julie Rogers
  • Tommy Walter
  • Jordan Whitlock — vocals on "Hourglass"
Production

Chart performance

Chart (2015) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[30] 96
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[31] 82
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[32] 95
US Billboard 200[33] 26
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[34] 1
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[35] 3

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Watch Lifehouse Perform 'Yesterday's Son' Live In-Studio". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "About Lifehouse". Lifehouse Music. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  3. ^ "Goo Goo Dolls part ways with drummer after 19 years". Retrieved 2015-01-16.
  4. ^ "Elvis Monroe". Retrieved 2015-01-16.
  5. ^ "Komox: Pledge Music". Retrieved 2015-01-16.
  6. ^ "Jason Wade on Lifehouse's new album, Out of the Wasteland". Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  7. ^ "Interview: Lifehouse". Artist Direct. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  8. ^ a b c "Hear Lifehouse vintage acoustic ballad Wish (Song Premiere)". Popcrush Magazine. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  9. ^ "Jason Wade". Twitter. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  10. ^ a b "Lifehouse - Angeline". YouTube. 12 June 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  11. ^ "Packaging design for Jason Wade (of Lifehouse) solo album". Hajek, Joe. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  12. ^ "Jason Wade Interview: Lifehouse Singer Talks 'Out of the Wasteland,' Favorite Lyrics, 'Everything' + More". Pop Crush. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  13. ^ "Lifehouse is back with their 7th studio album". Lifehousemusic.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  14. ^ "Lifehouse on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  15. ^ "Design An Album Cover for Lifehouse Seven". Creative Allies. Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  16. ^ "Exclusive: Lifehouse Premieres 'Hurricane' Video From 'Out of the Wasteland'". Billboard Magazine. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  17. ^ "LIFEHOUSE Announces New Album + Premieres Video for Single "Hurricane" on Billboard". VENTS Magazine. Archived from the original on 2 February 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  18. ^ "Jason Wade on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  19. ^ "Lifehouse Premieres New Album on Pandora". 19 May 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  20. ^ "Concert Setlists: Lifehouse". Samsung. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  21. ^ "Wish Lifehouse ft. Jude Cole at Troubadour Dec 18 2012". YouTube. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  22. ^ "2015 02 21 Lifehouse - Stardust". YouTube. 27 February 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  23. ^ "Jason Wade - Acoustic set live@Melkweg Amsterdam". YouTube. 17 September 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  24. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Out of the Wasteland - Lifehouse". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  25. ^ a b Lai, Alex (May 15, 2015). "Lifehouse Out of the Wasteland Album Review". Contact Music. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  26. ^ a b Laing, Philip (August 10, 2015). "Review: Out Of The Wasteland - Lifehouse". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  27. ^ a b Weaver, Michael (June 14, 2015). "Lifehouse, "Out of the Wasteland" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  28. ^ a b Wippsson, Johan (May 26, 2015). "Review: Out of the Wasteland". Melodic.net. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  29. ^ a b Holz, Adam (May 26, 2015). "Out of the Wasteland". Focus on the Family Media. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  30. ^ Ryan, Gavin (July 4, 2015). "ARIA Albums: John Farnham & Olivia Newton-John Have The No 1 Album". Noise11. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  31. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lifehouse – Out of the Wasteland" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  32. ^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  33. ^ "Lifehouse Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  34. ^ "Lifehouse Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  35. ^ "Lifehouse Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
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