Ok now after listening about 10-20 times from first to the last track I thought to share my thougths with you...
To be honest with you I didn't knew what to expect from this record. Jason was recording his own and suddenly this one was ready. The only conclusion I could make from it that the record was done pretty fast since hiatus wasn't officially over very long time ago. (yes they might be doing on this for longer period but still). I listened this record most of the time on my Audinst hud-mx1 USB DAC (with headphone amplifier) and Sennheiser HD 650 headphones.
So here are my opinions about the tracks:
1. Hurricane - It is definitely Hanging by a Moment-song of this record but it lacks of rawness what HBAM has. Same thing happened with a song of pretty much same style - Halfway gone. Hurricane is not a bad songs but it is just not powerful rock song. It's too poppy and it could definitely be a song from an artist like Kelly Clarkson or Avril Lavigne.
2. One For The Pain - First time when I heard this song my expression was 'fuck yeah!' Finnally a proper bad ass song. But after listening it few times I've noticed that something is missing in this song and to me it has no that rocky 'i'm an old guy and i don't care give me another glass' soul. The song is actually pretty good but the mixing has made it to be just 'ok'. Why on earth there is no proper guitar(s) track in this song. Few good riffs and some gain/overdrive effect during the chorus could really wake it up to life. Also Rick is way too shy in this song. This just feels like missed opportunity.
3. Flight - Without a doubt this is 'Everything' of this record. Very good song, pretty good sound and nice lyrics. I'm not sure why it is placed as a 3rd track because to me it could be pretty good track to close the record. This song is probably the only one which doesn't reminds you of Pro Tools existance all the time.
4. Runaways - When I 'got bored' with One For The Pain this became my favourite song of the record. Very nice powerful ballad which could also be much better song with better vocal mixing. Also some guitar riff could be like a coment on the night sky. Damn!
5. Firing Squad - Another poppy song which wont be remembered by many. I'm sorry to say but this is one of those very generic pop songs. I can't see a single reason why this couldn't be Katy Perry's song. Autotune and everything.
6. Wish - A song many of us waited to be released on a record. Very good song but it feels a bit rushed and I'm not sure is '30s radio effect really needed. To me this could be much more a B-side song because just after Firing Squad this feels like I'm listening a different record. Maybe this is the purpose of it but it still feels strange...
7. Stardust - The weakest song on the record and I have no idea why this is a Lifehouse song. Yes Bryce would like to sing much more, yes he wants bigger role in the band yes we heard Wrecking Ball (which I didn't like neither) but this just feels like it could be his own song for some own project. I haven't heard any of his side project songs so I'm not sure about them. Bryce's voice is too generic and to be honest quite boring to listen. At least for me. Personally I wouldnt mind guest singers if they would be someone like Eddy Vedder of such.
8. Alien - This sounds a lot of selfitled era's song. I can't heard this song without thinking Jason listened a lot of Elliott Smith at time. That's definitely not a bad thing but I just can't find anything special in this song. Another song which could be better with better mixing? The part with background singers is really nice.
9. Central Park - Probably the second best (if not the best) song of this record (excluding possible bonus tracks). I like how it sounds and it's a really nice ballad. Never been in New York so far so I can't find Central Park connection with this but this is definitely one of the songs I could listen when I want to relax and clean my mind from daily routines and worries.
Wish we could have more of these. (I don't even want to think how good it could sound with better mixing)
10. Hurt This Way - This sounds sounds like it is a song which couldn't make it to Almería. I think this song could fit Almería much more than Gotta Be Tonight (wich could definitely suit this record better with better mixing and without autotune). In general chorus is just boring to me.
11. Yesterday's Son - Good song ruined with very strange voice effect and The Calling - Wherever You Will Go guitar intro (starting at 1:55), why why why
. This could be one of the best songs of the recrod without previously mentioned issues.
12. Hourglass - Definitely a movie song. A bit musical but not too much. Quite nice though. The sound is good but somehow it feels like it doesn't belong to this record thanks to those poppy tracks.
In general the message I'm getting from this record is that this was born by collecting from what they/he already had done regardless how well will all the tracks fit together. The contrast between 'acoustic' and poppy songs is a bit too big. This means that when I want to listen this record almost always I have to skip some tracks because the mood changes way too radically between the tracks. I'm not sure was this the actual purpose of the whole set but it is just missing that nice smooth flow from a song to another. I'm still hoping that one day they will once again create a record with totally new producer without Jude being around. If nothing else just to see can someone else squeeze something from them what many of us are missing since NNF/SC era.
I can't wait to hear all the bonus tracks and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that at least some of them are really good ones.
ps. Sorry for my poor english and for my rudeness about this record. I just wanted to be honest and give you a honest opinion/review. I'm sure this result is a sum of many things including our agening, music industry development, mixing, production etc.. So it is what it is.