‘Lightning in a bottle don’t strike the same’, Brent Smith sings on Burning Down The Disco, a prime cut from Shinedown’s beefy new opus. It’s hard to imagine that even AI, with its sophisticated algorithms, ever-expanding knowledge base, and limitless resources could pen a line so brilliantly bombastic. But that’s what this Florida quartet does. It’s their duty, as rock’s premier people-pleasers, to recruit as many fans as possible, whatever their age or musical persuasion.
For proof, you need only remind yourself that the band debuted another of EI8HT’s songs, the single Searchlight, at the Grand Ole Opry, America’s most iconic country venue. Opportunistic? Maybe. Savvy? You’re darn tootin’!
But that doesn’t matter because that’s the point of the exercise. These 18 tracks have been written with the objective of broadening what a modern rock band can sound like. So there are more flirtations with country music (Outlaw, Wide Open). There are moments of musical theatre (At The Bottom, Killing Fields) and arena slaying (Dance, Kid, Dance; Back To The Living) alike. Occasionally there’s even a bit of electro goth thrown into the mix (Deep End).
