Word: smoking
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...bodied quality of Newsom’s vocals, recall Spektor’s characteristically poignant, minimalistic ballads. Despite the mark of external influence, however, “Occident” ultimately bears Newsom’s personal stamp. Newsom’s characteristically inscrutable lyrics shine (“Smoke-heart, curb your taste / Smoke me out of my hiding place”) and her voice maintains its youthfullness and its typical quality...
...Smoke and Mirrors” seeks to reproduce the commercial success of Lifehouse’s earlier albums and singles, some of which attained wide commercial success and reached the Billboard Top 10, including 2005 hit “You and Me.” Though many of the songs on “Smoke and Mirrors” fit the mold of these earlier successes, the album as a whole falls short of moving the band forward, as little attempt is made to alter their musical style or voice...
...that Lifehouse’s sound or their songs are mediocre. Most of them are actually catchy and easy to listen to. However, “Smoke & Mirrors” lacks the boldness and initiative to be a truly impressive album, failing to incorporate new tonal or vocal elements from one song to the next. This musical complacency reveals itself as the album’s primary shortcoming. Rather than deviate from a formula which has provided some success in the past, the band instead choose to produce songs based primarily off of the same tried-and-true formula. There...
...Smoke & Mirrors” makes few attempts at breaking away from the mold it casts for itself, but the rare displays of creativity among the myriad repetitions are quite welcome. “Wrecking Ball” features distant vocals and more original songwriting based on the lyrics as a whole rather than just the chorus. The refrain very simply states, “And I’m always swinging on this wrecking ball / While you’re building up and breaking down my wall.” Although this is repeated three times throughout the song...
Overall, “Smoke & Mirrors” is marked largely by a rinse, wash, repeat cycle of music with very limited tonal shifts, alteration in subject matter, or attempts at breaking the band’s music-writing norm. Taken individually, the songs are largely appealing and easy to listen to, but in the context of the record as a whole, many of the elements are lost due to mere repetition, a problem which plagues the album throughout...