After gaining much success with their single “It’s Time” and thriving off of that with an EP, Imagine Dragon’s full length album Night Visions is finally out. The album features four of the five songs from the EP and eight new songs never before released.
Opening track “Radioactive” starts the album out on the right foot with a gasp of fresh air and lyrics welcoming a “new age,” and “Tiptoe” contains a driving drumbeat that carries and flows throughout the whole album, making it easy to listen to for a duration of time. Appropriate, seeing how their music is refreshingly different by blending different elements of indie rock, pop, synth, and rhythm. After listening to a majority of their songs, it becomes obvious why they toured with AWOLNation, since their concept and execution of sound is almost similar.
Single “It’s Time” is next, and chances are by this point in the album, you realized that you have most definitely heard this band before and most likely have had this song stuck in your head for a long period of time. Well, now you know who sings it and that their whole album is just as catchy and delicious. With hand claps and foot stomps, an audibly pleasing, tingling mandolin, and inspirational lyrics, “It’s Time” is the perfect single to summarize every good quality of Imagine Dragons and display them on a solid podium.
My two personal favorites (both from the EP) “Demons” and “On Top of the World” follow suit, maintaining the same uplifting spirit of the previous. Although, arguably, “Demons” can be seen as a bit dark, the positive message of overcoming these demons for the love of someone else shines through. And “On Top of the World” just makes you want to explode into happiness the second the handclaps and danceable melody start. When you’re in a bad mood, this is definitely a go to song for cheering up.
“Amsterdam” playfully dances with the melody and blends a beautiful harmony effortlessly on top of bells and the more rock element of the guitar. In contrast, “Hear Me” echoes synth drums and airy vocals with a dark chorus, “Maybe if I fall asleep, I won’t breathe right / maybe if I leave tonight, I won’t come back.”
Following the echoing synthpop track, “Every Night” is softer and a bit sweeter with acoustic guitar and a tale of a forlorn lover returning home every night to win over his unrequited love interest. This track can get a little bit annoying with the repetition, but the sentiment is nice.
“Bleeding Out” features an almost tribal cascading drum beat keeping time so that lead singer Dan Reynolds’ vocals can ring out pure and strong. Much like “On Top of,” “Underdog” holds a positive feeling that you just can’t help but smile at. With a pretty basic and looping synthy, keytar instrumental the track doesn’t go out of any comfort zones, but makes for easy listening.
Whopping nine minute long double track “Nothing Left to Say/Rocks” transports you through multiple moods, starting with solemn drums and heavy organ which builds up into chaos and slowly resolves and fades down to strings and acoustic guitar under gentle oohs. The counterpart of the song picks it back up with fast paced fingerpicking, drumstick clicking, vocal instrumental, and tribal dance circle goodness. If you stick out the time length, it’s worth it in the end.
Last track (Spotify bonus track) “Cha-Ching (Till We Grow Older)” is stripped back and puts the focus more on the harmonious chorus of vocals. With what sounds like a children’s choir and minimalist instrumentals, it makes more sense as a bonus track because it doesn’t quite fit into the full sound the album has. However, it’s nice to hear what else the band has to offer.
Grade: B/B+
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgltSp_mU7M&w=560&h=315]