Shinedown's Latest Not A Very Inspired Head Trip

I hate to spit on Shinedown. The Floridian outfit has given me much pleasure on occasions past. "If You Only Knew" had an inspired rhythm running from stem to stern. There wasn't a weak link in that chain. Lead vocalist Brent Smith got huge punch from his reassuringly masculine presence. He doesn't belong to the school of "Let me blow you over with my impressive technique. He was perfectly at home letting his band mates offer up a wave for him to surf to masterful heights on. Not to be pigeonholed as a generic rock band Shinedown contributed to the soundtrack for the Sly Stallone vehicle The Expendables. The track, "Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)" killed. You wanted dramatics to the highest order? This song gave you exactly what you craved. "State of My Head" hardly registers on the Richter scale. To be blunt, frank, and anything else that a weighty adult conversation to do with music has up its sleeve, "Threat To Survival", the name of the album the track comes from, has intrigue in spades. "State of My Head" doesn't merit anything other than a raised eyebrow because it's too cutesy in comparison to the other singles I mentioned. Everybody's instrument is in fine working order. That includes Brent's pipes. Western fantasy much guys? Your lyrics hint that you wouldn't be out of place binge watching vintage John Wayne flicks. The following words border on cliche. "Oh, my eyes are seein' red. Double vision from the blood we've shed. The only way I'm leaving is dead. That's the state of my, state of my, state of my head. Poetry or balderdash? You be the judge. It's not destined to make me lust after additional listens. The song's not even 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Wise move. The less traceable proof of this song's existence the better. No artist goes through a career without a misstep but Shinedown's overall body of work had managed to sidestep land mines...until now. I'll hold off on overall opinion of "State of My Head" since one track does not a stinker make but I have my fingers crossed for their sake that "State of My Head" doesn't assume the image of one of those movie trailers where, if you've watched it, you've also seen the lone high point of the movie. We can pray "State of My Head" is a mere aberration rather than the damning indictment that the entire project should have been left on the cutting room floor. Brent's voice proves serviceable despite the corny material. Zach Myers comes through nicely on lead guitar. Eric Bass applies the right sublime touches with his bass. Barry Kerch admirably stays within his parameters behind the drum kit. So, I repeat what's wrong with "State of My Head" isn't the performing act. It's the maddeningly plucky, ten-gallon hat sensibility the song's been graced with. How icky can you get with "concrete street skin". Sounds like someone stayed out in the sun too long. I'd like to think Shinedown was trying to be tongue in cheek but this is far too cologne drenched to allow much room for humor. "State of My Head" suffers from not enough cranial focus on the process of constructing something even remotely inspired. '