Imagine Dragons Underwhelms Me. Again.

Imagine Dragons

In preparing to review the second album by Las Vegas (and largely Mormon) band, Imagine Dragons, entitled "Smoke + Mirrors", I went back to my initial review for their first album, "Night Visions".  I was amazed.  I could, if I wanted, literally copy and paste my review for that album for this particular one.  Many of my observations for both are identical.

For instance, I still think that singer Dan Reynolds' voice sounds uncannily like Jay Aston from '80s glam band, Gene Loves Jezebel.  In fact, much of their music takes a page from the '80s.  Also, I can still see similarities to The Killers, Coldplay, Vertical Horizon, and Neon Trees.

But mostly, like the last album, this new one does not really grab me.  I even wrote back in 2012, "All in all a decent album.  But I will not be holding my breath for their sophomore effort."  So what was I thinking?  Why was I really looking forward to this record?  I suppose due to the hype.

It's not that it's a bad album.  It's not.  They are good musicians, decent songwriters.  They have fantastic pop hooks.  Their songs span a variety of genres.  They are everything that people who like mainstream pop would hope for.  And perhaps that's the problem.  They are shiny and with a slick packaging.  The name of the album, "Smoke + Mirrors" is an apt name for the band.  Everything is there, except substance.  Everything seems designed for commercial success, which they have.  Many of these songs have topped charts and played often on the radio.  Even my teen kids like Imagine Dragons.

But it just doesn't speak to me or move me.  Maybe I'm just getting old.

The album starts out with "Shots", which isn't bad - a finger-tapping pop piece with a vocal hook for the chorus.  "Gold" is moody and seething with a very nice sample of Native Americans singing in the background.  It really makes the song work.  The title track, "Smoke and Mirrors", has a very nice vocal progression.  "I'm So Sorry" plays with blues and hard rock.  "I Bet My Life", the main single from the album, with its soaring millennial whoop chorus, is pretty recognizable.  "Polaroid" is one of the better songs on here, stripped down to a bare minimum, allowing the percussion and the vocals to carry the song.  If the whole album was like "Friction", I would feel better about the album.  It starts with a Middle Eastern rhythm and moves into nu-metal territory.  The only other song that stands out to me is "The Fall" with its multiple song changes,  The rest of the collection is fairly underwhelming.

And I feel bad.  Because I really wanted this record to be good, instead of just "okay".  But I will say unequivocally - there will be no purchase of a third album... Maybe.

Moroni's Review of Imagine Dragons' "Night Visions"

One of the great things about my relationship with my oldest daughter Sophie and me is music.

I never really had music in common with my dad.  He couldn't really understand the '80s alternative music that I listened to as a kid.  He was into old time country, Mexican rancheras, and '50s rock and roll.  It wasn't until I was an adult that we shared some musical tastes.  For instance, I was into bluegrass, and we both enjoyed the soundtrack to "O Brother, Where Art Thou".

I don't know what I am.  I guess I am one of those "cool dads" who likes new music.  Maybe?  But Sophie and I are always introducing music to each other.  She is now in college and recently posted a link to Imagine Dragons to me.  So I downloaded the first album from this Las Vegas quartet - "Night Visions".

I'm going to be honest.  After my first listen, I really didn't like it that much.  Even after several listens, I have to admit that it is not too terribly original.  This is the kind of generic music that record studios pump out that is "marketable" and designed to get radio airplay.

But after listening to it, it is kind of starting to grow on me.  There are still some songs that annoy me.  But the album is kind of catchy.  This album is not going to win any Grammy's. but it is good  music to tap your finger to for a while.

The album starts out with "Radioactive", which is a haunting melody.  But then they have to throw that wobble bass in there.  I understand that the masses still like dubstep.  But this is a rock band.  I am wondering which engineer or radio executive decided to make this a dubstep song instead of a straight up rock song.

The next song - "Tiptoe" - is equally catchy.  But I disliked the Casio keyboard sound in the '80s, and I dislike it equally in 2012.  "It's Time" and "Every Night" are ballads, and they don't do much for me.  "On Top of the World" and "Underdog" are so annoying that I almost never want to listen to this album ever again - just because of these songs.  However, the album is redeemed by my favorite songs - "Amsterdam", "Hear Me", "Bleeding Out", and "Nothing Left to Say".

It is hard to listen to this album without hearing its obvious influences - the Killers, Neon Trees, Vertical Horizon, Coldplay - and I even heard a little Gene Loves Jezebel in there.

All in all, a decent album.  But I don't think I will be holding my breath for their sophomore effort.