Imagine Dragons 2nd Release Stumbles

Las Vegas-based alternative group Imagine Dragons released the highly-anticipated followup to their 2012 smash hit, Night Visions, on February 17. The new album is entitled Smoke + Mirrors.

Imagine Dragons once held the distinction of being my favorite band, mostly due to their diverse style. Sure, “Radioactive” and “It’s Time” were the two main hits off of Night Visions, but I found that almost every track on that outstanding record was good in its own way.

Unfortunately Smoke + Mirrors fails to meet these standards.

Both albums function more as collections of singles as opposed to cohesive works. As Visions is comprised of new songs mixed with older Imagine Dragons tunes previously found on their independently released EPs, it offers variety.

Smoke + Mirrors is comprised of all new songs, and I can’t help but feel that their creative juices are drying up. Smoke + Mirrors plods along through its often indistinguishable 13 tracks until the deeply boring closer “The Fall” which shares the emotionless lyrics and overdramatic choruses that are unfortunately commonplace on the album.

However, it’s not all bad. The excellent “I’m So Sorry” sounds like Royal Blood, the Black Keys, and Imagine Dragons somehow had a baby, and despite the frankly horrifying image this brings to mind, it is a rocking stomper of a song where frontman Dan Reynolds shows off his impressive power as a rock singer. And guitarist Wayne Sermon finally unleashes his potential, delivering a number of excellent solos throughout the course of the record.

Reynolds, however, does not serve so well as a balladeer. A number of sleepy, preachy ballads find their way onto Smoke + Mirrors, and for the life of me, I can’t tell when one song ends and another begins.

Smoke + Mirrors finds a second wind in the Eastern-influenced “Friction.” Although none of the new songs can compare to the impressive versatility seen on Night Visions, “Friction” is one song that is an example of the creativity that Smoke + Mirrors so desperately needs.

Perhaps the biggest flaw with the new album is that it takes itself so seriously. As evidenced by some of the song titles.  Smoke + Mirrors is at times deeply cheesy. Perhaps this is due to the band’s competition. Forced to comply with a 2015-era audience still enamored by the torchy ballads of Sam Smith and that Hozier guy, Imagine Dragons has been pushed out of their comfort zone- producing songs that sound more akin to Mariah Carey than the Strokes.

Reynold’s voice is better for rock anthems than campy ballads. Imagine Dragons started out as a Led Zeppelin cover band, and it’s amazing how far they’ve strayed from their roots. They should stick with them- Night Visions did, and it was better for it.