Same Band, Same Sound, Still Hot on the Charts
If there’s one thing Imagine Dragons is good at, it’s making albums that are extremely successful. There might not be a lot of diversity between the previous, but they sure know how to keep their fans intrigued.
Imagine Dragons have continuously hit the top of the charts with their alternative/rock/pop sound that everyone seems to love. Between hits like “Radioactive,” “Demons,” and “It’s Time” from previous albums, the band produces memorable hits time after time.
Unfortunately, Evolve, sounds just like almost every album they have ever produced. At this point, nothing exclusively separates them from the rest of the other alternative/rock/pop bands. For some reason however, the band makes it work for them.
Most of the album focuses on the strife which comes with trying to keep love from burning out. Each song whether dealing with love or not, seems to make a statement, a loud battle cry that screams for another spot on the billboards.
‘Next To Me’
The fourth single from the band’s “Evolve” album, uses simplicity to set the tone for the album. The song gives a listener a “Lumineer” vibe with the inclusion of off beats of the drums, and an acoustic guitar. A real heartfelt love song that incorporates a chorus to compose a well put together song that encompasses every mushy gushy feeling a 30 year old man feels about the love of his life even after all the struggles it took to be together, next to one another.
‘I Don’t Know Why’ shifts gears on the album and brings listeners down a slick road to a more pop-incorporated sound that makes one question what album they’re really listening to. One moment you’re listening to alternative/indie rock, next you’re feeling nostalgic for Maroon 5 or another pop artist that uses electronic beats to grabs fans attentions and says “Hey, we’re evolving, we made a pop song.” However, for the hundredth time, Imagine Dragons makes it work for them.
‘Whatever It Takes’
What is an Imagine Dragons album without a soul-quenching, adrenaline-fueled song to empower all fans? Absolutely nothing. “What It Takes” exemplifies every basic Imagine Dragons song they have produced since they established themselves as a group. When you think of Imagine Dragons, if you don’t think of this song, you obviously live under a rock. The essence of the song reveals the insecurity and transformation into a confident person. “ An epoxy to the world and the vision we’ve lost/I’m an apostrophe/I’m just a symbol to remind you that there’s more to see…”
‘Believer’
The lead single on the studio album, peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. In addition, the song became the fifth best-selling song of 2017 in the US. The song, which is inspired by Dan Reynolds experiences with ankylosing spondylitis, provides another powerful anthem for the Evolve album, that exhibits a true feeling of overcoming an obstacle and reaching a point of acceptance and self-empowerment. “Singing from heartache from the pain/Taking my message from the veins/Speaking my lesson from the brain
/Seeing the beauty through the”…Imagine Dragons use their popular, usual sound to entitle the listeners and provide some true ‘oomph’ and dignity behind every lyric in this song.
‘Walking the Wire’ became the second promotional single released off the album, and was received extremely well by fans. The song assimilates a more pop sound while sticking with underlying tones of the indie rock we’ve all come to know and love. Walking the wire is definitely a romantic yet inspirational song which soothes the soul, touches the heart, and makes you giggle inside thinking about your favorite person to spend your whole life with. The whole album really pokes at aspects of love and relationships, and sometimes it takes a leap of faith/walking on a metaphorical wire to test the continuity of love.
‘Rise Up’ tests out some new mixes and sounds while attempting to stay true to the band’s original sound, however, this experimental song has a better meaning than it does sound. Again, the band dips their toe into some more pop sounds while adding some undertones of alternative vibrant instrumentals. The song focuses on another aspect of growing as person, and improving one’s self, while providing another strong battle cry from lead singer, Reynolds. Not that it’s a terrible song, it certainly makes a statement, just not much of a new one.
‘I’ll Make it Up to You’
“In my darkest hour, in the dead of the night I’ll make it up to you/Your hands are mine,/I’ll make it up to you/Promises are nothing more than fleeting thoughts/But you, you are my life babe.”
It seems that the band, or really, Reynolds, has got some relationship problems to work through, and used this album to do so. If he’s not walking on a wire to get through the tough times, he’s sure crying out to his lover to not leave him. Fortunately for him, love sells albums, and love makes Imagine Dragons rich.
‘Thunder’ is the second single released from their album, becoming their fourth top ten hit, and the ninth best-selling song of 2017 in the US. The track dabbles into some auto-tune sounds and complicated beats with extra effects to create a very new sound for the band. However, after listening, Imagine Dragon’s hit, “Radioactive” comes to mind as the futuristic sound comes back into play. Yet, this seems to be the most evolved song on the album, and gives the band a step up on the charts compared to their other featured songs.
The song gets to be a little more repetitive and slightly less lyrical than most of their content, but it works for them, and has climbed the charts. From the remix with the popular hip hop song, “Young, Dumb, and Broke” and the inclusion of the song in the NFL Philadelphia Eagles season highlight video, the song has given a different sound for the band. They have proven to be versatile, and proved that they can provide some new and improved material. Maybe not through the whole album, but it’s definitely a start.
‘Yesterday’ ,‘Mouth of the River’,‘Start Over’,and ‘Dancing in the Dark’
There’s always a group of song on the album that seems to be less popularized compared to the other songs. Their purpose is too add some more content, and to experiment with some new sounds. After all, the album is called “Evolve, so why not dabble in some new music?
‘Yesterday’ has some great lyrics, even some deeper meaning, but it gets lost in the scheme of the song, and the array of sounds and instruments that drown out the good noise. Of course it’s something that only the Imagine Dragons can pull off but it doesn’t seem to scream “evolution.”
‘Mouth of the River’ dives back into that strange futuristic style that the band has used in a good portion of their songs. The shift from techno/dance to a more pop rock sound seems to encompass the new sound the band is going for. Does it work for them? Hard to say, they’re making money off of the album, so there isn’t really much to complain about.
‘Start Over’ follows that electronic sound similar to ‘Mouth of the River’ which makes a listener start to second guess whom they are actually listening to. It’s like you’re standing in the middle of Abercrombie and Fitch shopping for a cute cardigan sweater, inhaling the stores abnormally strong yet memorable cologne, listening to the same old hipster/indie rock songs that play over and over. It’s not the worse song on the album, but it doesn’t seem to be the kind of sound the band should be focused on.
The last song on the studio album, ‘Dancing in the Dark,’ could have been left off. It’s quite obvious the master plan behind the album’s set-up. Each song progressively provides a different sound for the audience members to listen to and eventually it evolves into this awkwardly slow, hip-hop incorporated beat, with auto-tune, song that needs a genius to clearly decipher. It seems messy and unfortunately, the band has yet to realize the appreciation of their usual sound. This song was like a leap off the grand canyon without knowing if you have a parachute or not.
This album definitely takes a step in the right direction of producing real music and in-depth meanings. I wouldn’t say it had much to do with evolution, but it made their fans happy and at the end of the day, Imagine Dragons are the type of people that thrive off their fan base.
