"Second Chance" (CD single) (by Shinedown, Alternative Rock)

SECOND CHANCE is single number two off Shinedown's third album, The Sound of Madness. In this track, the alt-rock band delves into deep emotional territory, singing about a young adult stuck in an unsatisfying home situation who has big dreams of leading an independent life. The band ultimately puts an optimistic spin on this difficult premise, noting that time apart can be good for a relationship: "Tell my mother, tell my father, I've done the best I can / To make them realize this is my life, I hope they understand / I'm not angry, I'm just saying / Sometimes goodbye is a second chance."

On this record, the band strays from its southern-rock roots, striving for a big alt-rock sound that, in the words of lead singer Brent Smith, is "over the top." "Second Chance" doesn't quite hit this mark, offering performances that are respectable if not particularly memorable. In the end, this is the type of song that you remember the words to while forgetting exactly which one among all the cookie-cutter alt-rock groups performs it.