Starting in 2001 Shinedown certainly continues to shine, impressing fans with their mix of hard rock and heavier post-grunge sounds. Saturated with heavy riffs, energetic vocals, dark and honest lyrical content, Shinedown set the message straight.“It’s about to get heavy” with their newest album “Attention Attention”.
Beginning with a footstep interlude and a deep exhale from vocalist, Brent Smith leading into the opening song “DEVIL”, the first single to be released. With the immense vocals and massive guitar riffs, Shinedown fulfills their promise of getting heavy.
Songs like “BLACK SOULS,” “ATTENTION ATTENTION,” and “KILL YOUR CONSCIOUS,” perfectly follow the overall theme of the album. “BLACKSOULS,” one of our favorites off the album stands out with its playful feel, telling listeners to “face right everyone you disrespect” The quick tempo, synth beats and the powerful “wakeup” bridge certain does just that. “ATTENTION, ATTENTION” on the other hand, has some pop influences with its catchy choruses. “KILL YOUR CONSCIOUS” slows down the pace with its back and forth flow between soft synths and energetic choruses. “PYRO” begins with an electronic background paired with soft piano elements. The song is on the heavier side featuring some hard hitting lyrics about growing up in a negative household.
Continuing on with the resonating lyrics, “MONSTER” gets listeners right in the feels with the slower tempos and honest “monsters are real” lyrics. The powerful chorus perfectly brings the lyrics to life with its darker mood. “GET UP” and “special” are heavily driven by pianos, being on the softer side as compared to the rest of the album. “GET UP” is slightly more pop-friendly, reminding listeners to “get up and get a move on”. “special” is an appropriate title for the song, giving fans a unique set of string elements. The acoustic guitars pair well with the strong set of “pick me up” lyrics, reminding us to stay strong and unique.
“THE HUMAN RADIO” changes things up both vocally and instrumentally, with an inclusion of pop elements merged with the alternative metal vibes. Being the second single released for the album, it sounds tremendously like the old Shinedown fans have come to know. “BRILLIANT” is perfectly named for the conclusion of the album. The fun song closes the record on such a driving, upbeat, and positive note. Starting off as a ballad, the song picks up the pace and transforms into a punk rock vibe.
Known for their heartfelt lyrics, Shinedown push it just a little harder this time, creating resonating lyrics for listeners; making us think about our role in society. It’s evident that Shinedown had fun writing and recording this album. The songs give us a little bit of everything, darkness, humor, the heavy, and the light; all perfectly balanced to create an album with variety, yet balance. The sounds on “Attention, Attention” are captivating and unique enough to bring in new fans, but also don’t stray too far from the Shinedown sounds older fans have become familiar with.
Music Mayhem Rating: 5 out of 5.
Stream and download https://lnk.to/AttentionAttention
