We The Kings are probably most well known in Australia for their track that took over the airwaves at the start of the year, "Check Yes Juliet" (regardless of the fact the song was already about 3 years old.)
Sunshine State Of Mind is their third studio album and unfortunately the band has failed in maturing their sound in any sort of way, shape or form. We The Kings have always been the band you can count on to write catchy, summery songs, with addictive choruses. However they also lack a certain depth within their music and this is highly obvious with their latest attempt at an album.

Sunshine State Of Mind sounds like a rehashing of their late 2009 release ‘Smile, Kid’ – however a much worse version, with what can only be described as boring songs. The catchy choruses and hooks that gave us "Check Yes Juliet" and "Skyway Avenue" are not to be seen and lyrically they have the appeal of a group of 14 year old kids jamming in their garage on a rainy day. Even Travis Clark sounds completely bored when he is singing – there is such a distinct lack of emotion or passion within any song, and the vocals sound almost monotonous.

"Friday is Forever" and "The Secret To New York" are probably the most notable songs on the album, and are still just a shadow of what We The Kings are capable of. "Say You Like Me" has catchy chorus, but the lack of emotion within Clark's voice fails to take it to any great level. The repetitive ‘Whoa-oh-oh’ at the end of the chorus also puts it on the verge of being incredibly annoying. We The Kings attempt a ballad with "The View From Here" which fails to capture any of the old magic from the epic ‘We’ll Be A Dream.’ Clark once again delivers an insipid and dull performance with lyrics such as ‘It’s never been so clear, at the top we scream, I really like the view from here’ – sounding so unrealistic and unconvincing that I almost expected the lyrics to go ‘It’s never been so clear, I’ve never been so f***ing bored in my life.’

Getting excited for the heavier opening to "Kiss Me Last," I had my fingers crossed something magic was going to happen to save this album. The slightly heavier sound worked well in their favour, with more emphasis on thrashing guitars and solid drumming, and thus it proved to be possibly the best track on the CD.

After listening to some pretty dreadful songs, I heard the familiar opening chords of a song that made me sit up and pay attention – sure enough they had thrown in the bonus track of "Check Yes, Juliet." While this song is definitely We The Kings at their best, putting it on this album only showcased the decline that band has taken in the past year.

Sadly, We The Kings have failed to achieve the feel good, summery vibe they are so well known for. Sunshine State of Mind sounds like a pile of B-list songs from Smile, Kid that they threw together hastily and put into an album. Bland and forgettable can sum up this latest release from the quartet.

Review Score: 3/10