After the success of their debut album ‘Night Visions’ which
spawned the Grammy winning hit song Radioactive – Imagine Dragons are back, and
they have a lot to live up to. Billboard
declared the four-piece American rock band in 2013 as The Breakthrough Band of
the year, so how does their follow up album match their previous accolades?
Smoke + Mirrors has been a work in progress for two years
and the end result is very satisfying. The 18 track album is full of songs that
sound like they were made with festivals and gigs in mind. Like the upbeat ‘I
Bet My Life’. The chorus is instantly catchy and already warrants a call and response
chant at their upcoming shows.
What Smoke+ Mirror lacks in invention, it makes up for in personality.
Okay, so it isn’t anything we haven’t heard before but it definitely has character-
and it’s a fun and enjoyable listen. One of the stand out songs ‘I’m So Sorry’ is
dramatic enough to be the music for an advertisement for an American TV show. You
know the ones, where it’s full of scandal and sex and maybe a cheeky murder
investigation.
There are a few tender notes too on the album like the titled song and the aptly named ‘Dream’ which sounds like they took a
leaf out Onerepublic’s book on nailing a smooth hook without being cheesy.
It does feel like there's no differentiation between the latter of the 18 songs so it’s like one very long ongoing
track. But overall, if you want a chilled out and equally hard-hitting album with lots of percussion and emotion then Smoke + Mirrors is right up your alley.
Rating: 7/10
Recommended Tracks: Gold, Smoke and Mirrors, I'm So Sorry, It Comes Back To You, Dream, Thief, Friction
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