Imagine Dragons
Smoke + Mirrors

After approaching Imagine Dragons with a rather skeptical attitude and after more or less enjoying the good stylistic variety offered by “Night Visions,” I didn’t give up on listening to this second work, “Smoke + Mirrors.” Let's say I did it with a fair amount of trust and also hope.

The album confirms all the characteristics that made the first work successful: we are still in territories vaguely akin to indie-rock and pop-rock with a very catchy and easy-to-grasp sound, but here too the band has no qualms about incorporating elements of electronics, folk, soul, and world music (with the usual massive use of percussion bordering on tribal), thereby offering a certain variety of solutions that make each track a discourse unto itself. However, some flaws that characterized the previous album remain; here too, some overly slick production choices lower the album's quality by a few points, making the sound sometimes a bit flat and tending to overshadow some ideas that deserve to be highlighted, but there is a slight improvement nonetheless. I still hold the opinion that this band would better showcase its creative talent if it focused more fully on managing ideas and less on profitability and chart appeal.

Apart from flaws, we still face 13 tracks and 50 minutes filled with varied influences that do not exclude surprises. Synth-pop influences with an '80s flavor characterize the verses of “Shots” while a dark and unsettling electronics with a trip-hop matrix reigns in “Polaroid” and “Hopeless Opus.” Tribal percussions blend well with electronics in “Gold”; very African atmospheres also in the captivating “I Bet My Life.” “I’m So Sorry” is instead a perfect crossroads between vintage and modernity, rock sounds from the '70s blend perfectly with electronic effects akin to dubstep, an example of electronic rock that might vaguely remind one of Kasabian. Unique rhythms and sounds characterize “Summer” but the track that made me jump out of my seat is surely “Friction,” where they almost touch metal: heavy guitar riffs mingle with sounds and atmospheres with an almost Middle-Eastern flavor; let's say we could classify the track as industrial metal, especially the final tail, where the guitars sound sharper than ever, seems really borrowed from Rammstein.

But besides the genre contaminations, let's not forget that the album also gives much space to melody; clear examples are tracks like “Smoke and Mirrors,” “It Comes Back to You,” “The Fall,” the semi-acoustic “Trouble,” and the piano-driven “Dream” (which recalls some particularly delicate sounds of Coldplay). A melodic side that balances well with the more daring, cheerful, and creative side, creating a perfect counterbalance and also giving the idea of a rather mature band.

Overall, we can say that Imagine Dragons have quite hit the mark and are positioning themselves as one of the promises of the future. They can always improve and have a long way to go, but as long as they don't get lost in the quest for success or other potential obstacles, the premises for a respectable career are all there.