In concert, they hammered away at massive drums, an annoying theatrical gambit that might be a portent of where mainstream “rock” is heading. Their biggest hit, “Radioactive,” was a dour moaner that sounded like Chris Martin trying to write an Eminem ballad about the end of the world. On their multiplatinum 2012 debut, Night Visions, the Las Vegas act found a way to reheat old-fashioned arena-rock catharsis for the segmented pop world of the 2010s - fusing Coldplay’s heart-hugging balladry, Arcade Fire’s darkly heroic surge, neon Killers synths and elements of hip-hop, folk and EDM into something new. Smoke + Mirrors begins with the words “I’m sorry for…everything I’ve done,” and the regrets carry on through other tracks, including “It Comes Back to You,” a song for his wife that refers to “things…I think I learned in therapy.Let’s give Imagine Dragons credit where it’s due. In interviews, Reynolds has said he struggled with depression as the band’s career took off. The intermittent restraint reflects themes that are less imaginary and dragon-y than before.

“Shots” and “I Bet My Life” - with a chorus that resembles The Kinks’ “Days” - might convince skeptics that frontman Dan Reynolds’ voice can have charm when it’s used lightly (or at least when he’s not affecting an irksome calypso cadence, as on “Polaroid”).

It’s not as if there are so many dazzlingly original bands among their current modern-rock-format competition.īut the bombast of Night Visions hits like “Radioactive” has been tamped down. Note ‘”I’m So Sorry,” which breaks up Kid Rock country-rock with a wispy Snow Patrol-ling bridge, or the South Asian, “Get Yr Freak On”-style plucks on “Friction.” The band’s skillful cherry-picking will make fans of teen-pop listeners ready to get more sophisticated, as well as older ears looking to settle down.

Five Seconds of Summer and Justin Bieber treat the history of power pop and R&B, respectively, as a vast vault of R&D for reliably ingratiating moves Imagine Dragons does the same with a wider palette, with bits of dance, classic rock and even Nashville. But none of that jeering will block Imagine Dragons’ second album, Smoke + Mirrors, from scoring a slew of hits, just as 2012’s blockbuster Night Visions did. One could go on in this vein, and many critics have. The band’s name sums up its ethos - declaring a stout belief in creative vision, but applying it to a stock “epic” image, as if to say: “Imagine, you know, big imaginary stuff.” This knack for radiating ambition, but not for anything in particular, renders ID ideal for TV, movie and ad synchs, including a Target-sponsored $8 million live broadcast in the middle of this year’s Grammys.

Imagine dragons album smoke and mirrors