Lifehouse is dead.

Or so Stanley Climbfall suggests. The band's sophomore release on DreamWorks Records is a lifeless follow-up to its double-platinum debut, No Name Face, which thrust the band onto the music scene in late 2000 and kept it atop the charts through much of 2001.

Stanley Climbfall falls short of No Name Face in several categories. The album contains no annoyingly catchy, radio-friendly tunes like "Hanging By a Moment," one of the most-played radio singles of 2001. None of its tracks are as lyrically heartfelt and touching as "Breathing," or as emotionally fresh as "Everything." These qualities are what made Lifehouse so refreshing in the first place.

For the most part, Stanley Climbfall just seems to drag. At nearly an hour long, the album's 14 tracks sleepily blend together with nothing upbeat to break up the monotony. Frontman Jason Wade's breathy vocals become more irritating than sexy on this album and often make it difficult to make out the soulful lyrics.

Despite these disappointments, Stanley Climbfall does have many redeeming qualities. "Spin," the opening track and the first single released from the album, is fairly upbeat with an increasingly catchy chorus. The title track's haunting melody tells of life's ups and downs as you "stand, climb and fall."

The highlight of the album appears as a bonus track included on the first printing of the CD. The acoustic version of "Sky Is Falling" showcases Wade's vocal talents without drowning him with the driving guitar rhythms present on other tracks.

If all you are looking for is another "Hanging By A Moment" to sing along to, leave Stanley Climbfall on the shelf. However, if you are craving a dose of emotional mellow rock to spin as you go to sleep at night, give this album a shot.

-Reviewed by Samantha Pliska