Pedestrian debut with very little in the way of imagination. Or, indeed, dragons of any kind.
Night visions --- Imagine Dragons --- 2012 (Interscope)
This is, to be fair, not an album I either knew about or would have bothered with ordinarily, were it not for the gushing praise from a poster in the forum who seems to think we'll all be spreading butter on them soon (best thing since sliced bread), and that they're the future of rock. Well, such grandiose claims had better be grounded in reality and need to stand up to close scrutiny, so the question asked here is do this band from Sin City do either? Or both? Let's remember this is their debut album, although they have apparently had several EPs, tracks from some appear here, but even so, that's not really going to earn them any sympathy here if this turns out to be a load of old rubbish. I've heard to date just the one track from them in a playlist I made prior to writing these reviews, to prepare myself in part for what I was going to hear, and I have to admit what I heard was okay, though again I have to say it didn't blow me away. Still, that was one track. What does the whole album sound like?
We'll find out shortly, but first, the inevitable “who are [insert band name here]” bit. Well, it seems that their name, rather than lay claim to any fantasy connotations, is an anagram, yet we're told that the actual word or words being shifted around are a close-kept secret. Yeah, that makes sense, certainly! Imagine Dragons are a four-piece, formed in Las Vegas in 2008, and a year later were hard at work on their first EP. They've already appeared on many big talk shows in the States, and Billboard have touted them as one of the “brighest new stars of 2012”. One of their songs has already featured in “Glee”. Yeah, I hate the show too, but you have to admit that when your music appears in that programme you are seen to have arrived.
So how about the album then, Einstein? I'm getting to that. Right now. Opener “Radioactive” starts off with a deceptively gentle acoustic guitar from Wayne Sermon, then turns into a hard, slow hip-hop (I think) style song; I have no experience in that genre, but it sounds like something the likes of 50 Cent or Dollar or one of his mates would be seen singing. Maybe it's dubstep? There's big heavy echoey, almost sweeping percussion, like a lot of people slowly clapping in rhythm, keyboards and a strong chorus, with some unexpected viola from otherwise drummer Dan Platzman, while vocalist Dan Reynolds certainly makes himself heard. I hear a lot of dance and some annoying vocoder on “Tiptoe”, and not to be fair too much rock. Hopes sinking?
Squeaky keyboard doesn't add much to my mood, more heavy drumming and I really can't hear too much guitar, though it's there somewhere. Next one up is the song I heard, and in fact it's their first single so you may know it. “It's time” does up the ante a little, with a strangely oriental guitar line and some nice hooks which give way to a very satisfying bridge and chorus, more keys (which appear to be uncredited on the album but pretty much ubiquitous), Reynolds' voice a little more ragged and raspy here, and I can see why this was chosen as the lead single. It is very catchy, quite anthemic in its way. A good bit more guitar too, then “Demons” has a lot of Coldplay in it, with a nice little dreamy piano line then that heavy rolling drum --- is that dubstep? Someone enlighten me. Not a ballad, but the slowest track so far.
Abrupt ending and we're into a jangly little rocker they call “On top of the world”, which almost whistles its way along: seriously, there's a keyboard melody that's just like someone whistling happily. Timpani or congas or something in that line adds a sense of the Caribbean to the song, and it's, well, a happy little tune, as perhaps you might expect from the title. Not bad. Good backing vocals and a nice rhythm. Still, we're almost halfway through the album now and I'm not hearing anything that convinces me these guys are anything to get excited about, and I find myself wondering what Billboard sees in them? I mean, they're okay, certainly, but nothing special. “Amsterdam” sounds like it might be the first ballad, starting nice and relaxed and gentle and although the tempo picks up a little I still think it's pretty laidback.
Another nice piano melody --- why is the keysman, or woman, not credited? They seem to drive the whole sound of much of this album --- then some harder guitar and okay, it's not a ballad, but again it's one of the more restrained songs on the album with a nice vocal line from Dan Reynolds, who somehow manages to sound like Brandon Flowers. Hmm. Interesting, as the Killers also hail from the desert state, indeed come from Las Vegas too. Wonder if they met up and some influences from Flowers rubbed off on Reynolds? Certainly sounds like it. Even the guitar at the end has Killers written all over it. With percussion more in the Phil Collins mode than the Killers, “Hear me” is another slower, softer song with some nice slide guitar --- it's good to hear Sermon getting his riffs in properly now --- and the heavy (dubstep?) drumbeats appear to have been left behind for now.
On the other hand, “Every night” is a huge disappointment, sounding like Westlife, One Direction or any boyband you care to name. Totally generic, boring and stultifyingly annoying. I don't even want to say any more about it; it's threatening to change my mind about these guys completely, but that would be unfair. One song should not define a band, and although as I preach in my “Bad Apples” section, one bad track can come close to ruining an album, I'm prepared to overlook this, mostly because to be honest I haven't been that impressed that one bad song is going to devastate me. The album thus far is okay, but I certainly could live without it as happily. I don't feel like I've been let in on any great secret here, or allowed share in a wonderful experience I would otherwise not have had.
Nice acoustic guitar and some sort of whistly, fluty sound on the keyboard in “Bleeding out”, then they ruin it by hitting up some trance-style squeaky synth, and the big heavy drums are back and once more, I'm losing the will to live. Well, maybe not the will to live, but certainly the will to last to the end of this album. More Caribbean influences in “Underdog”, squealy synth and annoying vocal harmonies, but okay I guess: inoffensive, light, throwaway. We end on “Nothing left to say”, which is kind of how I feel about this album really.
Admittedly it was just the raving of one guy who set me onto this band, but considering how much exposure they've got, and how feted they've been, touted as the next big thing, I don't see it. Pretty much average, okay pop band with a bit of rock thrown in now and again. Few interesting influences, but not interesting enough to hold my attention. The closer is powerful, catchy with some nice hooks, probably one of the better tracks. For those interested there's a hidden track at the end called “Rocks”. Far as I'm concerned, it can stay hidden. Personally, I'd have to say that although this band is NOT a boyband, I find their style closest to the likes of Nysnc and their ilk; not as cheesy perhaps, but definitely NOT a rock band.
Mediocre at best. So of course they're going to conquer the world. But they'll be doing it without me.
TRACKLISTING
1. Radioactive
2. Tiptoe
3. It's time
4. Demons
5. On top of the world
6. Amsterdam
7. Hear me
8. Every night
9. Bleeding out
10. Underdog
11. Nothing left to say