The Las Vegas dubstep-rockers are back, but they are coming off of a long run of early 2010s ___-rock groups' declination. On paper, Imagine Dragons should have the sonic sustainability that lasts them three, maybe four, albums of relevance as is the median of the standard group in that subdivision.
And, up until now, the "Nickelback for Millennials" stadium-blasting anthems have surely been hits. "Radioactive" was the subject of an explosive collaboration with Kendrick Lamar during the 2014 Grammys, and "On Top Of The World" served as the titular anthem for graduation ceremonies and graduation party slideshows alike. But the quartet is looking for something different this time around. Dan Reynolds said he saw this album as an evolution, if the album title didn't give it enough clarity. However, just looking at the album art, the protagonist that is this band is not so much evolving as much as he is getting abducted by aliens during pride month.
And this set an appropriate, muddled tone for the album. The first single "Believer," which surely can be seen by the naked eye from space as the band's attempt to replicate "Radioactive", pales in comparison. Whereas "Radioactive" consists of an escalating, building verse that is followed by a driving, sprawling chorus, "Believer's" chorus consists of Reynolds screaming "You made me a/You made me a believer!" Wait for it. "Believer!" There's little tension built in the verse, either, which is wasted as Reynolds divulges in *gulp* rapping. And don't be misdirected; this is not Beastie Boys-esque rapping. No, this is more along the lines of Gwen Stefani in "The Great Escape" rapping.
At least, in terms of principle, it's still more forgivable to imitate oneself than to imitate another. The album opener, "I Don't Know Why," is a straight-up Weeknd ripoff, equipped with Reynolds' way out-of-range vocals. Another appearance of these vocals are in "Rise Up," with a performance that just compels me to turn down my volume by the time the chorus comes around. This is not to say the instrumentals are much better. "I'll Make It Up To You", for one, is incredibly underdeveloped, featuring little more than a plucked guitar and a radio-friendly drum beat.
The lyrics also have their own version of laziness. Here's a snippet from track "Walking The Wire":
Oh the storm is raging against us now
If you're afraid of falling then don't look down
But we took the step oh we took the leap
And we'll take what comes, take what comes
Feel the wind in your hair
Feel the rush way up here
We're walking the wire, love
We're walking the wire, love
We couldn't be higher, up
We're walking the wire, wire, wire
This vague metaphor isn't too far off from those of Father John Misty's "Generic Pop Song" series released this year. Here's a snippet from "Generic Pop Song #9" for juxtaposition purposes:
Here we are, a little lower than the angels
Higher than an afterglow
Dancing with the devils, asking where the time go
Dancing on the grave of all my beloved souls
And if I seem a little careless
It's cause we burn a little brighter than the rest
Oh, brighter than we burn, brighter than we burn, brighter than
Oh, brighter than we burn, brighter than we burn, brighter than(x2)
Despite all this, some songs do end up burning brighter (than we burn) than the others. Borrowed aspect of "I Don't Know Why" aside, it's blues-y guitar inclusion in the chorus is a shining apricity of artistic ingenuity. The closer "Dancing In The Dark" has this subdued, roofed-in sound that is a nice refresher from the belt-it-out, AT&T Stadium routine of most Imagine Dragons songs. Nevertheless, the bad songs do add up by the handful, rendering Evolve truly radioactive. Rating:
