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EVOLVE by Imagine Dragons – A (slightly biased) Review

Hello there, humans (and potentially ad spamming robots and hyper intelligent apes) of the internet! If you are anything like me, you have been counting down the days until this album release while annoying anyone who dares to cross your path with fervent rants about the awe-inspiring and charming band that is Imagine Dragons. Now that it’s (finally) here, I will waste no time critiquing, ripping, and analyzing the music until I possibly ruin it for hundreds of innocents. Enjoy! WARNINGS: I AM A FAN, SO I MAY BE BIASED. DESPITE THIS, I CAN BE VERY CRITICAL IN MY REVIEWS. PLEASE TRY REMEMBER THAT CRITICISM CAN BE CONSTRUCTIVE. I ALSO TEND TO REFER TO MUSICIANS WITH THEIR FIRST NAME (I thought that might be offensive to someone somewhere, so I thought I’d mention it).

1: I Don’t Know Why – 16/20

Lyrics (4/5): The lyrics definitely piqued my interest. There is interesting contrast throughout the song (“we could be strangers in the night” versus “we couldn’t be closer if we tried”). Generally, the lyrics are different and striking enough to encourage a deeper examination. However, the bridge and chorus were repeated a good deal near the end of the song, which lead to less thought and more mindless background music. Vocals (4.5/5): There is one part when Dan (the lead singer) seems to be straining his voice to reach higher notes (while singing the word “dangerous”), but otherwise the vocals are excellent. Instrumentation (4.5/5): As usual with any Imagine Dragons song, “I Don’t Know Why” has an interesting mix of various instruments, notes, and sounds. Despite being a salad of varying pitches, the song flowed very well and turned out quite catchy. The heavy bass beat is very common in mainstream music, but this song does a moderately good job reimagining its usage. Originality (3/5): At points this song does feel a little repetitive. If a listener had never heard of Imagine Dragons before and is introduced through this song, I fear that they could reach a completely incorrect evaluation of the band. This song could make Imagine Dragons seem like an impersonal, trendy, and repetitive pop band instead of the amazing, unique, and deeply personal band that they truly are.

2: Whatever It Takes – 19.5/20

Lyrics (5/5): The vocabulary in this song is fresh and fascinating (not to mention educational). The overall meaning of the lyrics was inspiring and thought inducing, which is exactly what I look for in music. These lyrics are also personal and provide a lot of insight into how Dan feels about himself as a person and an artist. Vocals (5/5): Dan shows off his talent for singing for quickly and precisely in the verse and pre-chorus. He makes use of the potential his voice contains in many different ways in this song, which I love to hear from any singer. Instrumentation (4.5/5): The music was perfectly on time with the lyrics, and the build up to the chorus was done well. The only problem is that it is quite simple for Imagine Dragons. (This does not warrant much of a point deduction because the simplicity might be intentional in order to emphasize the amazing lyrics.) Originality (5/5): There are at least three different parts to this song that tie together nicely and keep the listener on their toes. It’s hard to reach this level of variation and still have something that sounds synchronized and (in my personal opinion) astounding. The lyrical content was deep and extensive as well. The multifaceted feel is why (in my opinion) “Whatever It Takes” is one of the best Imagine Dragons songs. As you can probably tell by this point, “Whatever It Takes” is definitely one of my favorites off of “Evolve.”

3: Believer – 18.5/20

Lyrics (5/5): The lyrics follow a very organized progression, starting out with Dan enumerating a list of things he wants to communicate to his audience. The overall message of the song is necessary and meaningful. It’s easy to forget that the painful moments of life are typically the very moments that contribute the most to our character and ultimately, our futures. Vocals (5/5): Dan shows that even while screaming at the top of his lungs, his voice sounds markedly better than the majority of pop singers who attempt to sing live without the aid of their precious auto tune (a little off track, but worth mentioning). Instrumentation (4.5/5): The song repeats the same background notes throughout (which makes it conveniently easy to play on the ukulele). On one hand, this is a little too repetitive. On the other hand, this repetition consequently makes the music catchy and hard hitting despite the somewhat minimalistic approach. Originality (4/5): While simplicity in a song can be good, too much can make it like something is missing. The lyrics were definitely original, seeing how they were highly personal and deep enough to cause any listener to become lost in the meaning. However, I feel that the band was not showcasing their full potential when it comes to instrumental variety. Seeing how this song became extremely popular, it is evident that there is nothing in it that is intentionally shocking or radically new that would alarm listeners (which is both a good and a bad trait).

4: Walking The Wire – 18/20

Lyrics (4.5/5): This song is romantic, but also contains advice that does not have to apply to love alone. There is an element of risk and chance in life that this song is focused on capturing. I noticed that the lyrics are not particularly deep, but the song is still thought provoking and surprisingly encouraging (which is generally new for Imagine Dragons lyrics). Vocals (5/5): The singing is particularly beautiful to match the pace and tone of the song. Even the screaming is gentle (if that makes sense). There is one part where Dan says the word “love” in the most emotional and raw way while the music slows and pauses. The fact that they focus on small details is one of the many reasons I love Imagine Dragons. Instrumentation (4.5/5): The pace of the music is definitely slower than other songs on the album, and therefore less intense in places. In a way, this is a relaxing change from the hard hitting beat of “Believer.” There is an interesting layer of sounds that makes this song a new experience every time it is heard (I know this because I’ve heard it at least five times in the past thirty minutes). Originality (4/5): Overall, this song stays true to the style of Imagine Dragons while bringing some new elements to the table. It breaks the mold of the cliché love song with a message that is applicable to multiple situations.

5: Rise Up – 19/20

Lyrics (5/5): The title could be a reference to the album cover, which features a man floating upwards bathed in tricolored light. I personally appreciate references like this and think that they reflect dedication on the Artist’s part. The lyrics themselves are beautiful, personal, and emotional. Vocals (4.5/5): The singing is very rough in places, which adds to the song in some parts and grates on the ears a bit in others. Most of the time, it creates a more emotional experience, but at the same time I felt somewhat like the focus of attack. Some auto tune is used to distort Dan’s voice as he repeats the word “rise,” which creates a very enjoyable effect to listen to. Instrumentation (5/5): The violin-esque noises in the pre-chorus are very fitting and are used well to build up to the chorus. The music is all around dramatic. In the bridge, the music completely changes, but still matches the dramatic yet flowing melody that appears in the rest of the song. Originality (4.5/5): The lyrics are very specific and unique to this song in particular. The music followed these lyrics masterfully, despite somewhat lacking variety. This song is one of my personal favorites, mainly because of the emotion and drama that creates a truly outstanding piece of art.

6: I’ll Make It Up To You – 13/20

Lyrics (3/5): The repeated sexual references confuse me, since Imagine Dragons has never been associated with sex before in my mind. While bands like Panic! At the Disco could pull off these suggestive remarks with deadly charm (because we all now to expect such things from Brendon), they sound out of place in an Imagine Dragons song. There are some good moments in “I’ll Make It Up To You” (“promises are nothing more than fleeting thoughts”) which saved it some points concerning the lyrical aspect of this song. Vocals (4/5): Dan sounds slightly whiny in the chorus. This is unusual for him, and it definitely surprised me. Other than this one instance, he sounds as excellent as he always does. Instrumentation (4/5): The guitar and piano pair for the intro was an amazing decision, and the well placed finger snaps were as well. For the bridge, the music changed subtly, which flowed very well with the lyrics and built up to the chorus nicely. Finally, the guitar solo at the end was very pleasing to me. Despite these small details, the music as a whole was not especially unique. Originality (3/5): There are many love songs out there today, and this particular one would not stand out much if it was not for the musical talent and amazing singing that Imagine Dragons is known for. Some interesting parts found in the music keep this song from being too unoriginal.

7: Yesterday – 19.5/20

Lyrics (5/5): The message these lyrics present is very relatable. The passage of time has always captured the human imagination, and “Yesterday” does an excellent job of examining that interest. Instead of being filled with regret as many of us are when contemplating our pasts, Dan claims that he regrets nothing. Lines such as “no tomorrow without a yesterday,” “you can do anything you wanna,” and “anywhere your dreams could take you” encourage listeners to rise above their doubts and look forward to the future. The lyrics are deep enough to be interesting, and light hearted enough to be inspirational. Vocals (4.5/5): The distortion and strain in Dan’s voice is a very dramatic and risky choice. One could love it or hate it, and personally, I love it (I took off a half point because this is opinion is certainly debatable). This is the kind of chancy novelty that is lacking from modern pop music. (Dan’s ordinary voice is still top notch.) Instrumentation (5/5): The piano chord introduction opens up nicely with the first distorted lines of the song. The clapping in the background adds to the peculiarity and rhythm of the music. The drums in this song were well synced to the lyrics. The guitar is also synced (and its solo is well placed). A good way to explain the music in “Yesterday” simply would be synchronized, bizarre, and hard hitting. Originality (5/5): The music in this song is very original and mind bending, and so is the way the vocals are modified and utilized. The lyrics are supported by this flavorful mixture to create a unique and fresh song that will certainly be circulating through my playlists for years to come.

8: Mouth of The River – 18/20

Lyrics (4.5/5): The second verse of “Mouth of The River” brings back memories of “Polaroid,” both songs being highly personal and specific to Dan. The lyrics are interesting and attention grabbing, though there is a good deal of repetition near the end. Vocals (5/5): The voices in the chorus sound soft almost choir like, which is quite interesting and lovely. There is a part in the second verse in which Dan’s voice cracks slightly, but since this seems intentional in order to increase the emotional appeal, it can hardly be considered a mistake. Overall, the vocals in this song are one of its most positive areas. Instrumentation (4.5/5): The high pitched electronic beeping noises (for lack of better explanation) build up to the guitar. The drums are intense, and paired with the guitar throughout the song. This music basically repeats itself with some variability. The main point of change occurs during the bridge when the instruments reach a climax, all joining together, only to cut out and leave only the beeping noise to accompany the singing. The bridge ends with the drums leading back into the chorus (which sounds great, by the way). Originality (4/5): This song is a little repetitive, but the chorus has some unique lines that make me interested to see how fans will interpret them. The vocals are magnificent in this song and create an almost gospel sound that had not been previously seen in Imagine Dragons’ music.

9: Thunder – 19/20

Lyrics (5/5): This song is a celebration of the success and recognition Imagine Dragons (more specifically Dan Reynolds) has experienced over the years. It is also a comment on how society seems to encourage people who fit into certain boxes. Dan has denied these boxes and found his fame through his own methods. I personally can relate to the lyrics (I am still not sure if “scheming for the masses” is a common hobby or not) and find them a great “in your face” to those who believed that Imagine Dragons would never make it to the top of the musical food chain. Vocals (5/5): Dan manipulates his voice excellently to highlight the lyrics in the verses. The harmonizing in the chorus makes me want to become a lead singer of a band right away (despite having little to no talent when it comes to singing). Instrumentation (5/5): Minimalism sometimes falls flat in music, but it works perfectly in this song. There is still enough variation present to keep things interesting, while not overloading the listener with too much experimentation. The thunder sound effects in the beginning and the end are an amazing addition. Originality (4/5): The music definitely contained some unique aspects; however, there was an undoubtedly pop sounding background to “Thunder” (which is probably what helped make it so popular). Other than that, this song is a recollection of what formed Imagine Dragons in the first place, and therefore cannot be anything but unique to the band alone.

10: Start Over – 14/20

Lyrics (3/5): Once again, the lyrics are uncharacteristically sexual for Imagine Dragons, which makes some parts of “Start Over” feel superficial. There is a large chunk of repeated lines at the end of the song and only nine (very short) differing lines. The message of the lyrics is not very deep. It simply describes how a lover wishes to reunite with an ex-lover (like we haven’t heard that before). However, a well used literary device somewhat redeems the lyrics. The line “silence screaming” paints a very captivating picture that is the highlight of lyrical content in this song. Vocals (5/5): You cannot argue with the quality of Dan’s voice regardless of what he sings. He brings strong emotion to the otherwise flat lyrics, making his singing the best part of this song. Instrumentation (4/5): The echoic quality of the music is interesting, as well as the higher notes played throughout. The drums are also on point. All in all, this song sounds musically like it was composed by Imagine Dragons (though it does not show as much variety as usual). Originality (2/5): Repetition near the end and much overused themes (love, sex, long distant relationships… yeah, we get it) potentially makes “Start Over” the least original Imagine Dragons song to ever be made. Because of this, “Start Over” is my least favorite song on the album.

11: Dancing in the Dark – 17/20

Lyrics (4/5): There is definitely something interesting going on in the lyrics, but it feels hidden by the distorted voices and slow music. It seems like there is something deep to find in this song. Vocals (5/5): The voice editing in this song is quite eye (or ear) catching. It adds an intriguing twist to Dan’s singing, and adds to the song (instead of taking away from it, which auto tune can sometimes do). Dan also seems to have no trouble hitting the high notes here. Instrumentation (4.5/5): The music is low and gentle with a slight echo, which conveys the feeling of floating (which is a good thing, by the way). There are some beautiful notes at the beginning that provide a great introduction to the song. The electric guitar plucks add some variety. The entire song had a very “remix” feel to it, which I am not quite sure I like. Originality (3.5/5): One thing I noticed is that the title is exactly the same as a single created in the past by Rihanna. I am not sure whether or not this was intentional, but the name will probably remind most people of “that Rihanna song” instead of “that Imagine Dragons song.” The lyrics present a puzzle that could turn out to be truly amazing, and the music is interesting to me that it will probably be lulling me to sleep in the foreseeable future.

Overall album rating – 191.5/220 or 87%

That was… intense. In my personal and very unprofessional opinion, “Evolve” is an overall musical masterpiece and is definitely worth ten dollars. It is not my favorite Imagine Dragons album, but it does contain some of my new favorite songs. There’s something for everyone in this album, so chances are if you don’t like a couple songs, you will like some of the others. Anyways, thanks for reading (if you actually did without skipping to the end)!