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Out Now
Interscope Records
American rock band Imagine Dragons have just dropped their third studio album Evolve, in which the band has attempted a new direction by adopting a more modern and radio-friendly sound. Imagine Dragons’ music has always been something of a mixed bag. Their international success proves that they’re more than capable of generating chart toppers. However, on previous records Night Visions and Smoke + Mirrors, their chart hits were accompanied by bland and forgettable filler tracks. Have Imagine Dragons finally dropped this annoying habit and created a consistently good album with Evolve?
I was optimistic at first. The beginning of Evolve is simply superb, almost flawless. It opens with ‘I Don’t Know Why’, an instant winner. It has a Stranger Things vibe to it, with an eerie production and a punchy chorus. It’s easy to see how artists from other genres like The Weeknd and Drake have influenced this darker and sexier sound. The only issue here is that the song feels a minute too short, and – if longer – it could have made more of an impact.
‘Whatever It Takes’ is a standout song from the album, and I’ll be sorely disappointed if it’s not released as a single. Imagine Dragons singer Dan Reynolds abandons his usual vocal style in the verses in favour of a faster, more hip-hop style delivery, followed by an uplifting chorus. The result is a sound far cooler than one would expect from Imagine Dragons, who seem to have lost their relevance in recent years. This track would be perfect for getting motivated to pump iron in the gym or go for an early-morning run.
‘Believer’, the first single from the album, is an example of what Imagine Dragons do best. It’s bass-heavy, aggressive, and incessantly catchy. From the rapid-delivery in the verses to the passionate shouts of “pain” throughout the chorus, this anthem is perfectly executed. It’s a pity that ‘Believer’ didn’t make a bigger splash commercially, despite major promotion during the Super Bowl courtesy of Nintendo, as well as an epic music video. Unfortunately, after this track Evolve begins to crumble. The rest of the album consists of the dreaded Imagine Dragons filler tracks, which feature some questionable production and inane lyrics.
‘Rise Up’ is an example of Reynolds’ shout-singing taken too far, where the meaning of the song is diminished by the man screaming into the microphone. The soft and gentle bridge is completely out of place in this testosterone-fuelled mess. ‘Yesterday’ is just as obnoxious. The affected vocals, heavy-handed piano and constant clapping just don’t mix well, resulting in the musical equivalent of a faked orgasm. You can’t help but wonder what happened to the slick production from the beginning of the album.
Evolve shows that Imagine Dragons have no problem being lazy with their lyrics, particularly in ‘Thunder’. The repetition is exhausting to listen to, since the chorus is pretty much “thunder, feel the thunder” on repeat. It’s hard to fathom why they thought this would make a good second single. The album ends with ‘Dancing In The Dark’, a lifeless song featuring some horribly filtered vocals. It’s pretty much the nail in the coffin for Evolve.
Evolve is supposed to be an album about strength and motivation, and though the lyrics seem to support that narrative, the quality of the music says otherwise. Just when you’re starting to think Imagine Dragons have actually evolved, the rest of the album proves that they’re still churning out lacklustre material. Three good tracks followed by eight duds just doesn’t cut it. It feels as though they put in enough effort to make the album commercially viable, then called it a day. Evolve could have made a good EP, but as an full-length album it just doesn’t work. On one track they repeatedly ask “Can we start over?” – They should have listened to their own words and scrapped Evolve.
