Almeria by Lifehouse

Million-selling recording and live act Lifehouse has gotten back to its roots mindset-wise which significantly helped produced its latest album touted by both band insiders and tough crack critics as their "most daring and provocative release to date."

"Almeria," the name of the group's sixth album, was crafted without the distractions usually brought by in-between touring and personal struggles that cuff the workflow of successful talents. The band worked with producers and co-writers Jude Cole and Jacob Kasher and A-list performers Peter Frampton and Natasha Bedingfield. 

"It's almost like we were reverting back to being teenagers in our parents' garages, which felt really good," frontman Jason Wade is quoted as saying. "We thought we were making this cool, 70s kind. We knew we had to shake things up creatively and go back to the drawing board, try something new." 

If there's any indication of such approach, the first single "Between The Raindrops" right away sent that into the air, with inspired songwriting sparked by that "reverberating melody in Jason's head" and three and a half months of "developing the track" and "honing the lyrics," care of the whole band. 

Bedingfield, whom Lifehouse met six years ago, reacted so positively upon hearing the song that she immediately overdubbed her vocals to it. 

Released by MCA Music Philippines, "Almeria" is expected to be a hit among his fans in the country who always anticipate the progression of creativity in the band's material. 

Equally interesting are tracks "Nobody Listen" and "You're The One" which Wade proudly noted as tracks that "just kind of came to life." It is revealed that for these songs he wrote through a process he never did before, he just "went in with this blank canvas and started throwing stuff down on tape." 

"Right Back Home” on the other hand, features the legendary Peter Frampton who "completely mesmerized the room as the band watched him perform his solo and vocal." Wade's vocal and the band's energetic sound complemented well with Frampton's contribution.

Wade and his comrades, drummer Rick Woolstenhulme, Jr., and current bassist Bryce Soderberg and guitarist Ben Carey, emerged from Los Angeles during the late 90s. Then their signature song "Hanging By a Moment" became Billboard magazine's 2000 Hot 100 chart Song of the Year. Their music has been heard in TV shows like "Smallville," "Falcon Beach," "Grey's Anatomy," "Scrubs," "One Tree Hill," "Criminal Minds" and many others, as well as in films like "The Time Traveler's Wife." 

Lifehouse has sold more than 15 million records with hits, also including "You and Me," "First Time,” "Whatever It Takes", "Halfway Gone" and "Sick Cycle Carousel." 

Wade, emphasizing how focus they are on their craft these days, shared, "I don't even remember a lot of the shows back then because I never planned on doing that. I was just a kid in my room with my guitar and a couple of songs." 

Now the band has "well-adjusted and grown into a strong, tight and perpetually ambitious concern." 

LIFEHOUSE Album “ALMERIA” under MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines), is now available in all record stores nationwide and online via iTunes.