After the band's first album, “Night Visions,” was such an unexpected success, Imagine Dragons had some big shoes to fill. The four-man band from Las Vegas has come a long way and taken a big change of direction since its “Radioactive” days, with style, lyrical content and energy that have changed to almost unrecognizable form. The album’s rhythm maintains a mellow cadence, similar to a Coldplay vibe, and at times hints of The Killers' style of fast-paced rock.
Although “I Bet My Life” is a less than provocative song about the singer’s relationship with his parents, it has become an overdone commercial favorite. However, there are new songs that deviate from the commercialized track. Many of the songs emit a somber energy of unsatisfied self-reflection. They expose thoughts that you may not even want in your head.
Songs like “Hopeless Opus” reflect the writer’s hopelessness and a feeling of being lost inside his competitive lifestyle. “I’m in this race and I’m hoping just to place / Oh I’m trying not to face what’s become of me,” singer Dan Reynolds whines over ambient guitar.
(Photo courtesy of Interscope Records)Other themes of regret, anger and being mentally lost appear in songs like “I’m So Sorry” and “Trouble.” The band also expresses losing faith and identity simultaneously in many of its songs. After listening, it is recommended that you hug a puppy and gain back some of your dopamine levels.
Alternative rock bands are often critiqued because they walk a thin line of cheesy pop music. Overall, this is not a theme in the album, but there are some borderline questionable songs like “Polaroid,” which is the odd ball out of the album.
The song "Friction" is almost unrecognizable to the band’s style with its AWOLNATION energy and electronic undertones. At first listen, you may not even know it is Imagine Dragons.
The special edition of “Smoke + Mirrors” includes four bonus tracks: "Release," "Thief," "Second Chances" and "The Unknown." The latter is inspired by the death of singer Dan Reynolds' grandfather and questions the future amid the sorrow state of reality. “We are all living in a dream / But life ain’t what it seems," he sings.
“Smoke + Mirrors” successfully embodies the band's struggles and emotional changes deriving from impending fame, as well as the natural succession of life's difficulties. It is cynical, yet the content lacks any mention of sex, drugs or profanity, which is not easily done. The band has received much criticism over the years for lack of originality and accusations of being a one-hit wonder, but “Smoke + Mirrors” has some hidden depth if you take the time to dig for it.
Reach the reporter at Rachel.Andrews@asu.edu or follow @rachelandrewss on Twitter.
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