The odds of becoming a success in the music industry are slim, the odds of continuing that mainstream success with a sophomore album is even more difficult. Imagine Dragons are proving that they are the exception to the rule and have impressed with their second album, Smoke + Mirrors.
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When Imagine Dragons released, “Demons” and “Radioactive,” they made their presence known in the music industry. They had a sound that combined, hard-hitting rock ‘n’ roll with slight EDM influences and Dan Reynold’s vocal range that pulled everything together in a way that felt seamless. They created their own musical genre with their first album, Night Visions. Now they are showing that they cannot only expand their claim but are advancing their musical sound in a way that feels natural and effortless.
Smoke + Mirrors opens with “Shots” and from the opening electric guitar progression; this is a new direction for Imagine Dragons. It doesn’t sound like the songs that were featured on Night Visions and this is a positive thing for the band. Why not take the time to explore different aspects of their musical influences and embrace a new sound. They took what has made them such a popular group and added in new musical influences that result in a more contemporary and distinctive feel. “Shots” has elements of subtly that highlight the vocal range of Reynolds.
The album features many high notes and shows off the bands ability to creativity layer musical instruments that adds layers to their lyrics. Each song feels like a complete picture and every aspect of their production have been thought through. Smoke + Mirrors captures a pure, creative process that results in a hit album which shows their musical maturity.
Even though they are pushing their new sound and creative ability forward, they haven’t abandoned the musical tone that made hits like “Radioactive” so popular. The current single, “I Bet My Life” contains very similar musical notes and the track, “I’m So Sorry” has the grand-stadium feel that “Radioactive” embraced so well.
Smoke + Mirrors feels like a complete vision. It is an album that flows from song to song and can be listened to as a complete musical work. Additional stand out tracks on the album include, “Dream,” “Trouble,” and “Polaroid.”
Imagine Dragons are proving with Smoke + Mirrors that they have the talent and passion to keep making music long after “Radioactive” is a distant memory and just another single on their greatest hits album.
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