Album of the week: Imagine Dragons get personal on "Evolve"
23/06/2017
written by Annika Hagemann
The Imagine Dragons' third studio album offers haunting rhythms and even more personal lyrics.
"Evolve" by the Imagine Dragons.
The band
Lead singer Dan Reynolds and drummer Andrew Tolman met in 2008 during their studies and founded their band in the same year. Their breakthrough came just four years later with their very first album "Night Vision", in particular their hit single "Radioactive."
The album
Powerful bass, futuristic sounds in combination with Dan Reynolds' powerful voice play an important role as in the previous albums. The album opens with dreamy rock tracks like the pre-released single "What It Takes": the rhythms are swaying, and the band often plays with volume for dramatic effect - silence often comes first before the loud chorus. Songs like "I Don't Know Why" and "Rise Up" mix pop rhythms with Reynolds' raspy voice. Towards the end of the album, the band turns to more electronic sounds, as in the song "Mouth of the River": the bass recedes, the choruses become poppier, Reynolds' voice becomes calmer and blends with the backing vocals.
The lyrics on this album are also more profound and direct than on the previous album "Smoke + Mirrors", on which the band mainly dealt with metaphors. This time, the themes are more personal, such as in the love songs "I Don't Know Why" and "Make It Up To You". Reynolds also reflects on his childhood ambitions in the song "Thunder": "Kids were laughing in my classes / While I was scheming for the masses / Who do you think you are? / Dreaming 'bout being a big star". In the single "Believers", he reveals his vulnerability and seems to allude to his depression. depression through lyrics such as "I was broken from a young age" and "I'mma say all the words inside my head / I'm fired up and tired of the way that things have been".
Verdict
With repetitive choruses and compact rhythms, the songs by Imagine Dragons remain as radio-friendly as ever. However, this allows them to draw the listener into their dreamy world without interruption. In general, the band's musical style has become more minimalist. The album ends with quieter, poppy songs: the song "Yesterday" is an experiment with slowly pulsating bass and simple piano music. Reynolds' voice comes to the fore even more. Personal lyrics mixed with an anthemic sound allow fans to immerse themselves in the stories of Imagine Dragons.
Recommended tracks
"I Don't Know Why" - rock meets pop with pulsating bass. "Believer" - Hip-hop inspired and an ultimate radio hit.
"Whatever It Takes" - futuristic sounds and a catchy chorus. Perfect for singing along. "Make It Up To You" - Calm love song. The soft facets of Dan Reynolds' voice take center stage
