Back to their origins
“Origins,” Imagine Dragons’ fourth studio album was released on Nov. 9.
For the past decade, Imagine Dragons has held forth as a staple of the American rock industry, producing catchy go-to music for pop and alternative music fans alike. Only a year after their album “Evolve” was released in 2017, Imagine Dragons singer and songwriter Dan Reynolds has released “Origins,” an emotional album that brings fans back to the softer style the band embraced when they first started.
While the songs on “Evolve” could be categorized as rock, “Origins” takes a more alternative route, playing with a combination of different acoustic instruments and percussion while still staying true to the rock band’s catchy choruses.
While the album includes several lighter songs, some tracks on the album were as intense as their last album, with their two singles “Machine” and “Natural” embracing the louder rock side of the band that most people are familiar with. Both songs are well produced and incredibly catchy, and the second song on the album, “Boomerang,” is another favorite of mine— its catchy verses and drum based screaming chorus immediately drew me in.
As a long-time fan, my favorite songs on the album are the slower songs with melodic instrumentals and heavy beats—ones that are reminiscent of old favorites from “Night Visions” and “Smoke and Mirrors.” “West Coast,” with Reynolds’ crooning voice and acoustic guitar intro, immediately became an all-time favorite of mine. I also particularly enjoyed the band’s last single “Bad Liar,” which delved into emotional issues Reynolds has faced in the past year, with lyrics about his recent divorce and family among softer instrumentals.
Although I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the different genres that the band has explored over the years, I was completely thrown off by “Digital,” an electronic-based song that consisted of yelling and clapping under wailing guitar. Luckily, most of the album stayed in the alternative and rock realm, with songs like “Stuck,” “Cool Out” and “Real Life” maintaining a slower style with strong percussion accompaniment.
Despite seeing Reynolds perform live in July, I was newly reinvigorated with this newest album, excited to hear more from the band. With “Origins,” Imagine Dragons continues to impress both long-time fans and more recent fans of their music.
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