With their debut album and energetic live show Imagine Dragons burst onto the music scene in 2012. Night Visions became one of the biggest selling rock albums of 2012-13 and the band continued along the arena rock path forged by the likes of Bon Jovi or Nickelback. Now, I am not saying the bands sound alike it is that everything was big and the choruses were ultra catchy. A modern version of mainstream rock. It is now time for the dreaded follow up album. Time to see if Imagine Dragons has staying power or are just a one hit wonder. Not willing to venture too far from the formula that worked from them on Smoke + Mirrors they just expand the arena rock sound that brought them to the forefront. On most tracks they mesh together New Wave with dance rock or R&B with electronic. Harkening back to the massive single “Radioactive” off their first album, the single “Gold” runs along the same vein. Up and down is how to best describe the album and that means in regards to tempo and quality. You get a nice slow song like “Summer” then a gothy, dark one like “Dream”. Instead of feeling disjointed it sounds more like a band still evolving. That was the plus now on to the minus. What I found grating were the world weariness (Why? Most of the band members are in their twenties) and overt spiritualism in the lyrics. Even when sunnier times are hinted at musically the dour lyrics tend to bring things down.
Imagine Dragons – Smoke + Mirrors
