The first exposure that I had to Imagine Dragons was during the NBA playoffs. Seemingly every commercial break, a spot would run with LeBron James practicing, with "Radioactive" serving as his practice music. There's an element of struggle that makes it an ideal workout song, and combined with the many anthemic songs on Night Visions, it's no wonder that the Imagine Dragons have broken out in 2013.
Indeed, the theme of struggle carries on throughout Night Visions, giving the album a weary feel on many songs. There are momentary detours from the struggle (such as the bouncy and slightly annoying "On Top Of The World" and "Amsterdam", which is probably the quiet gem of the entire set), but overall the grim mood is successfully set.
Is there a lather-rinse-repeat quality to Night Visions? Undoubtedly. Many of the songs follow the same pattern of catchy-hook intro/establishing lyrics/sweeping chorus, but it doesn't feel too repetitive, mostly because there is a lot layered into these songs that make them more repeatable. I did hear some echoes of other anthemic groups (U2, Coldplay, and Keane, to name a few), but I don't think there is a lot out there like the Imagine Dragons, and they are especially refreshing when compared to much of what else is on the radio now. It'll be interesting to see how they branch out with their next release.
No comments:
Post a Comment