 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Smoke & Mirrors
- By Lifehouse
- Genre: Light Rock
Common Sense Media says
Clean alt-rock CD is tween-friendly but boring.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that while this CD features a fair amount of young adult emotional angst, it doesn't include profanity or references to sex and substance use. Typical lyrics include: "Loneliness facing up and down these hallways, second-guessing every thought / Mystified, just spinning 'round in circles / Drowning in the silent screaming with nothing left to say."
What's the story?
SMOKE & MIRRORS marks the fifth studio album for Lifehouse, the pop-rock band who first made it big nearly a decade ago with their single "Hanging By a Moment." Not a lot has changed, with this quartet of guys sticking to their tried-and-true lyrical formula. Most of the songs deal with the pain that can be involved in young adulthood and first loves, yet they omit any graphic language, descriptions of sexual situations, or references to substance use. Having described themselves as not a Christian rock band, but a rock band composed of Christians, Lifehouse's lyrics are squeaky clean.
Is it any good?
In terms of the music itself, there's nothing inherently wrong with this record -- there's just not a lot that's overwhelmingly right. Most of the tracks sound eerily similar to the band's very first hit -- "Hanging by a Moment" -- which wouldn't be so bad if we hadn't already been hearing the song for the past ten years. By now, this sound has grown tired and become just plain boring.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about strategies that young adults can use to cope with the emotional strain that often accompanies growing up. What are five things a young adult can do to feel better about the conflicting feelings he or she may be experiencing?
The band describes themselves as "not a Christian rock band, but a rock band composed of Christians." What's the difference between these descriptions, or do you think they are really the same thing?
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| Artist: | Lifehouse |
| Release date: | March 2, 2010 |
| Label: | Dreamworks |
| Genre: | Light Rock |
| Parental advisory: | No |
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