Breathing Straight Fire
A good pop album. It’s absolutely happened before, recently with Charlie Puth’s Voicenotes and plenty of times previously with other artists. The track order, musical variety and combination of old sound with their new sonic ventures make Imagine Dragons’ new album, Origins, a solid release. It’s easy to lose appreciation for songs that frequently occupy the radio, especially if they are not lyrically hot to begin with. Admittedly, previous Imagine Dragons releases fall into this category, such as “Thunder” or “Whatever It Takes,” despite the more low-key tunes on the very same album that don’t get much attention. Fingers crossed that the radio can chill the heck out and not overplay any of the twelve tunes here.
The opener has that classic Imagine Dragon battle sound, with just a slightly different tone to Dan Reynold’s voice (at least for the verse). That similar intensity finds itself in “Digital,” an excellent take on the prevalence of technology in our lives and a perfect tune for the young and opinionated. Pop simplicity flourishes in the closer, “Love,” a tune whose chorus is little else besides the title lyric, but surely one of the catchiest among them all. Rivaling for catchiness is “Bad Liar.” The mellow, well-produced opening is not a sound that stays throughout but it instantly keeps the ears around and stacks up as one the best tracks on this album. It takes a fair dose of courage to admit that one is bad at lying. “Cool Out” isn’t quite a highlight but clearly shows the band’s pop-writing chops. Kudos.
“Boomerang” plays off the throwing-related lyrics well and follows comfortably after the charged opener; here, the band’s old sound and their tiptoeing in new musical directions is apparent and well-received (“that beat though!”). “Zero” uses near-rhymes well and keeps the sad and lonely company, and “Bullet in a Gun” is yet another song that dazzles with its simplicity.
“West Coast” is one of the best three tracks on Origins, and like the highlight from Evolve, “Dancing in the Dark,” Imagine Dragons does wonderfully when they branch out of their musical bubble. If it wasn’t clear before, the clever execution of the track order now becomes apparent, both before and after “West Coast,” a delightfully catchy tune that’s just here to please. “Only” is just an all-around bop, especially when the synth comes in during the chorus. Hot diggity damn. And the highlight of the album is also the saddest one. “Stuck” shows Reynolds at his most emotionally vulnerable. It’s the kind of weakness and honesty we want to know is there from the big pop artists.
Head to toe, Origins is a worthwhile listen and a splendid release from the Vegas band.
Leave a Comment