Imagine Dragons - Night Visions

You may hate us for covering the same band within a span of a few weeks, but rest assured, this is something you want to read and will be blasting in your Prius (eco-conscious males) and Jettas (half the female population it seems). Imagine Dragons first full length album, Night Visions, is out now and we here at Musical Druggernauts are so stoked to be able covering it! If you didn't read our post about their EP Continued Silence, feel free to check it out and then see what we think of the new tracks. 

Night Visions is one of the biggest emerging band releases of the year and to say that it doesn't disappoint would be a disservice. A number of songs will be familiar to those who have been blasting their EP since Valentine's Day: “Radioactive,” “It's Time,” “On Top Of The World,” and “Demons.” Although the other two tracks “Round and Round” and “My Fault,” which were two of the stronger songs on the EP, didn’t make it, these other songs have seen commercial success in being synced to various film and TV spots, making it a clear choice as to why they transferred over to the full length album. Enough about that! Time for the new stuff!

“Tiptoe” is one of those songs that makes you feel a variety of emotions, infusing synthesizer piano elements reminiscent of “Miami Vice” and an overriding pop sound that could be correlated to last year's breakout band, Foster the People. The song starts off with a dramatic bass piano introduction, helping build up the anticipation; then it hits you like a ton of bricks and Reynolds (lead singer) shows off his vocal chops: "In the morning light let my roots take flight/watch me fall above like a vicious dove." The stark contrast that Reynolds creates with his lyrics resonates on a totally different level then most alternative rock bands. Searching for recognition is an apparent theme in this song, calling out those who bring others down; that there is no reason to be dragged down by such people, but to "tiptoe higher" says Reynolds. It's taken the band over three years to get to this point, knowing that it is a long journey to get to where they want—if anything, their newfound success is an indicator that good things do happen to those who rise above. Even with a powerful message, the songs instrumentation and production is so catchy that even if you don't dissect and take the lyrics in, it still is a powerful song.

“Amsterdam,” which could very well be the next single, is one of those songs that you can immediately recognize. The rich, full bodied guitar riff is what makes the song, in terms of instrumentation. It is what sets it apart from being just another poppy song, giving it its own inherent voice. Not many recognize the difficulty it takes in having a certain uncanny knack for writing lyric and melody. Reynolds just gets it. Not to say that other mainstream artists don't, but he is of the select few. The verses and choruses are transitionally smooth and getting to really show his range in this particular song, Reynolds doesn't come up flat at any moment. He is a pro's pro, musically speaking. 

If you're looking for that heartfelt love song that you can play when away from your significant other don't fret, “Every Night” is a perfect fit for such emotional distress (feel free to get the Ben and Jerry's if that's your thing). The song itself is not overly slow, but slow enough to get the sense that this is meant to be a sappy pop love song. "Searching to find myself, but all I found was you...I'm coming home to you," Reynolds writes. Anyone who has been at this crossroads knows this is all too true. At times we let go of the ones we love and cherish when we need them most. “Every Night” is thus a form of self-reflection, delineating that more times than not, we shun those that are there for us, thinking we can do it on our own. 

Check out this awesome preview!

Night Visions is one of those albums that is sure to not disappoint! Give it a test run on Spotify and if you like it, go buy it!!! Great bands deserve the support! Also, they are currently touring with AWOLNATION, so check out their website to see if they are at a venue near you! Until then Druggernauts!