SHINEDOWN
EI8HT (Atlantic)
Shinedown know how to make a multi-platinum rock record and EI8HT features a lot of different styles, yet all unmistakably the Floridian band. Single Three-Six-Five is a perfect example of frontman Brent Smith’s iconic tone, with a singalong chorus to boot, and Dance Kid, Dance is rhythm-forward, with pounding drums and a grungy chorus. Searchlight and Outlaw are mellower, lighters-in-the-air numbers which showcase the bluesy, southern musical styles that have underwritten much of Shinedown’s discography.
Simply put, the latest offering is a mixed bag; this 18-track record has some forgettable moments, with predictable melodies and choral runs. It’s hard not to favour their heavier rock songs like Machine-Gun, which echoes Rise Against’s hardcore tonality, and the Billy Talent-esque Bear With Me. However, the standout track is Safe And Sound, whose mammoth opening riff, instant earworm of a chorus and chant of “one by one” are a driving force.
words SARA MURPHY
