The saying goes, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” but Imagine Dragons is out to prove this horribly wrong.
With the release of its debut album, _Night Visions_, on Sep. 6, the quartet from Las Vegas, Nev., is officially breaking into the limelight of alternative music. The band has already seen moderate success: its widely popular single, “It’s Time,” was nominated for an MTV Video Music award. The song is also scheduled to be covered on “Glee” this coming fall. So the question must be asked: What’s all the hype about?
_Night Visions_ immediately shows why Imagine Dragons has captured the attention of music lovers everywhere. The beginning track, “Radioactive,” reveals a certain style that is carried throughout a majority of the album. Blending heavy electronic elements and traditional rock, Imagine Dragons possesses a stadium quality. In other words, its music is loud, energetic and, in some ways, epic.
Front man Dan Reynolds professes his lyrics with a voice that emits passion in every breath. Adding to this, the percussion booms and roars through the noise, stabilizing what could otherwise be a very messy sound. Both factors give the album a sense of overwhelming confidence, which is impressive to see from a band making its debut.
As if these components weren’t enough, the lyrics are phenomenal. The range of topics is vast, from a man struggling with his personal demons (“Demons”) to the effects of undeterred positivity (“On Top of the World”). The personal nature of the lyrics makes them a tad confusing at times, but this personal feel makes every word even more intriguing and relatable to the listener.
With that being said, the learning curve for Imagine Dragons is evident, despite all the positive attributes the album has. _Night Visions_ is front-loaded with the more appealing songs. This isn’t to say the latter half of the album is of a lower quality — it simply doesn’t have the energy the first half does. Instead of the mix of electronic and traditional sounds that worked so well in the first several tracks, the album becomes increasingly segregated as it plays out. Closing the CD is “Nothing Left To Say/Rocks,” two tracks combined into one. The former is a long attempt at an epic closer that stumbles due to a lack of energy while the latter is an upbeat, banjo-driven tune — the order should have been switched.
It would be unfair to expect a perfect first effort from Imagine Dragons. But if there were ever a band that, based on its debut LP, was destined for fame and fortune, it would be Imagine Dragons, who thoroughly impress with _Night Visions_.