Shinedown streamed their newest album Amaryllis (available for purchase March 27th) on iTunes this week and I’ve given it a listen thorough. Here are my thoughts I may write more when it comes out:
Amaryllis offers the bouncy, hard rock sound that is expected from Shinedown with a more pop sound. It lacks the teeth Sound of Madness had. Both of Shinedown’s most recent singles, “Bully” and “Diamond eyes(boom-lay)” are both crowd songs, written to be easy to sing along with even without having heard these song before. While every band has at least one of these songs, it feels like Shinedown is trying for it with these two songs.
The trouble I have with bully is that it feels like Shinedown is hopping on the anti-bullying bandwagon that has been so active lately. It doesn’t have the painfulness of a lot of the anti-bullying songs out there. However, It does have drive. This is where I see the old Shinedown coming out. “Bully” is a ferocious, hard edged anthem. I’m a sucker for songs like “Bully,” that are meant to give strength to the picked on kids.
The slow songs on this album were a bit of a letdown. After the emotional grind that came from “Crow and the butterfly” and “Second chance” it is hard for me to really get excited about the title track “Amaryllis.” While it does have the occasional glimmer of the emotional drive that Shinedown is known for, it is not the power track it should be.
I am intrigued by the addition of strings on this album. Normally, I find strings add to the songs I’ve heard them in. I’m not sure that is the case here. Jury’s still out on that one.
If I had any advice to the band I would say , do not lose that edge.
I found Amaryllis much softer than previous albums and lacking some of the bite of previous albums, It could be simply that its not as angry , which can be good live. We shall see in May. Stay tuned, folks.
(4/6)
Coming very soon: Poets of the Fall Temple of Thought.
Amaryllis offers the bouncy, hard rock sound that is expected from Shinedown with a more pop sound. It lacks the teeth Sound of Madness had. Both of Shinedown’s most recent singles, “Bully” and “Diamond eyes(boom-lay)” are both crowd songs, written to be easy to sing along with even without having heard these song before. While every band has at least one of these songs, it feels like Shinedown is trying for it with these two songs.
The trouble I have with bully is that it feels like Shinedown is hopping on the anti-bullying bandwagon that has been so active lately. It doesn’t have the painfulness of a lot of the anti-bullying songs out there. However, It does have drive. This is where I see the old Shinedown coming out. “Bully” is a ferocious, hard edged anthem. I’m a sucker for songs like “Bully,” that are meant to give strength to the picked on kids.
The slow songs on this album were a bit of a letdown. After the emotional grind that came from “Crow and the butterfly” and “Second chance” it is hard for me to really get excited about the title track “Amaryllis.” While it does have the occasional glimmer of the emotional drive that Shinedown is known for, it is not the power track it should be.
I am intrigued by the addition of strings on this album. Normally, I find strings add to the songs I’ve heard them in. I’m not sure that is the case here. Jury’s still out on that one.
If I had any advice to the band I would say , do not lose that edge.
I found Amaryllis much softer than previous albums and lacking some of the bite of previous albums, It could be simply that its not as angry , which can be good live. We shall see in May. Stay tuned, folks.
(4/6)
Coming very soon: Poets of the Fall Temple of Thought.
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