25 Records of Christmas, Day 21: Imagine Dragons

I’ll be the first to say: I love dubstep. I love how electronic music is infiltrating indie rock and other types of music to create some fantastic new sounds. While not necessarily a new thing, electronic-infused music has been gaining a lot more speed and recognition recently, particularly due to solo artists like Skrillex. But this isn’t a Skrillex review. That’s for another day. Today’s record is from a group that takes the electronic genre and flips it upside down. Introducing: Imagine Dragons, and their debut album Night Visions.

First, the first single, “Radioactive” is just pure fun. Dubstep breakdowns fill the tune completely, added with solid percussion and a great vocal performance from Dan Reynolds. In fact, much of the record revolves catchy hooks and perfect sing a long moments from Reynolds. “Tiptoe” is a perfect example, followed by the infectious single “It’s Time”, most notable for inclusions in commercials. Heavy drum sounds mix with piano, making the song so catchy it’s hard not to get it stuck in your head.

Imagine Dragons hails from Las Vegas, the same as The Killers.

“Demons” is another standout track, bringing the lyrics to a more personal level: “when you feel my heat / look into my eyes / it’s where my demons hide / don’t get too close / it’s dark inside / it’s where my demons hide”. Meanwhile, “Amsterdam” gives a style similar to something we might hear from The Police: an ambient background, a quick beat over top, featuring some impressive guitar work, before the chorus hits. Stylistically, you can find reason to think of a comparison to the Killers, with the band’s tendency to have steady, building verses before a healthy dose of big, arena rock choruses. 

I was really impressed when I first heard Night Visions. Not so much in the sense of uniqueness, but more in the band’s tight composure. Everything on the album works together to create a solid moment. Nothing really feels out of place, like they’re trying to prove anything. These guys are just playing music and having fun. 

There’s plenty of videos online of the band performing, and what I found when watching them was that they don’t play the same way twice. Sure, the same elements are there, but they’re trying different things out live, finding more creative ways to play some of these fantastic tunes. If you’re looking for some good electronic-rock for your ears, look no further than Imagine Dragons.