Lifehouse is a band I discovered quite by accident. I had heard "Hanging By A Moment" on the radio, but never associated it with them, nor did I care much for the song anyway. The truth of the matter is, I ponied up some serious cash to take a girl on a date to see Matchbox 20, and Lifehouse was the opening act, along with Everclear. I am happy to report that two good things came out of that night, one of which was my decision to buy this CD, and the other… well, you can use your imagination.

Anyhow, while the young set were guzzling overpriced beer in the hallways, Lifehouse put on a great show for a thousand or so people, and inspired me to say, "I have to buy this CD", which in turn inspired my date to do just that, as a gift to me.

What I heard at that concert carried through on the CD, and it kind of defines what I consider to be good music - strong melodies, good lyrics, and good rhythm. What you have here is what I consider to be 'serious' pop music, and by that I mean musical complexity, along with lyrics that are easy enough to comprehend. What I really enjoy about this disc is the guitar work: it's complex and very melodic, driving the song, and setting the mood of the lyrics with great effect. Check out tunes such as "Sick Cycle Carousel", "Simon" or "Quasimodo" to hear what these guys are about. As a matter of fact, the whole thing is good, both for a casual listen, and for further listening to, and really getting into it. When you link up the lyrics with the music, it takes on a whole new complexity and dimension. Music should make you feel something, and I guess whether or not we like what we hear has a lot to do with the situation in which we first heard it. I have to admit that it might appear that this review is thus tainted, but fear not. (We didn't even hold hands until the end of the show, and I didn't even get a proper kiss until the next day, so there!) Seriously, though, No Name Face is a very good album either way, and if you go to see Matchbox 20, be sure to not blow off their opening act. It would be a great mistake.