Las Vegas based rockers Imagine Dragons have released their sophomore album, Smoke + Mirrors.
In the music video for the opening track, "Shots," we saw the artwork for all thirteen tracks of Smoke + Mirrors illustrated by artist Tim Cantor, who also worked on the album cover. The surrealist images evoke that angsty, existentialist sentiment you often get when listening to Imagine Dragons.
In a recent Billboard interview, frontman Dan Reynolds described himself and his bandmates as an "atypical band." Reynolds says although they have guitars, drums, and bass like most rock bands, he still "love[s] big, poppy melodies. And [he's] not going to apologize for that." Those big, poppy melodies mixed with deep, contemplating lyrics -- see "Polaroid," "It Comes Back To You," and "Summer" -- are just what keeps these rockers on the charts for weeks at a time. The album's singles, "I Bet My Life," and "Shots" are just as lyrically intense but chanting choruses and booming drums make them perfect for singing along to the radio.
The band continues to show their broad musical talents in the hip-hop inspired tracks "Hopeless Opus" and my personal favorite, "Gold," that will have you bopping your head to infectious beats. More subdued tracks like "It Comes Back To You" and "Dream" never lose that fiery intensity that comes with Dan Reynolds' impassioned vocals. The album closes rather softly with a 6-minute track that ends in an ethereal mix of wispy chants and synth sounds.
Smoke + Mirrors is available now on Amazon (MP3, CD, Vinyl) and iTunes. Stream the full album above, via Spotify.
For more music, news, videos, and tour dates from Imagine Dragons, check out their Zumic artist page.
Source: Spotify
