3.5/5
Mercury Rising.
Imagine this. Sin City, Las Vegas. When it comes to this Nevada town The Killers have been the high-rollers in this neon strip for almost as long as Sinatra. Making a killing like burying the competition in the desert. But from 2012 to 2018, no one had quite a run like Vegas pop rock outfit Imagine Dragons. Breathing fire with an onslaught of four massive albums across six years ('Night Visions', 'Smoke + Mirrors', 'Evolve' plus 'Origins') with huge hits off each ('It's Time', 'Radioactive', 'Demons'). The Billboard Breakthrough Band of 2013 and Biggest Band of 2017 held record weeks on the Hot 100 and appeared on soundtracks, even to video games from the NBA. From the electropop to the arena rock these aces took over stadiums like a LeBron James slam dunk, crowning themselves the new Kings of LV. American Music Awards, MTV ones, a Grammy. 77.5 million singles sold. They seemed Smaug unstoppable as Lord of the Rings like Shang-Chi, but what's happened since 2018 when this band kept as quiet as arenas in quarantine right now? Depression, desperation, divorce (almost), the death of a friend to drug addiction. It's a lot for anyone to take and lead singer Dan Reynolds had to face it all. And this is before we even talk about corona and all the other horrible things that happened in the worst calendar of our lives last year. But rising again like mercury or a Phoenix, Reynolds gets reflective on the latest album from the dragons den, 'Mercury - Act 1' with the promise of a second part. Juxtaposing the blinding neon light 'Evolve' rapture with a brown paper artwork of the same solitary, surrendering figure plummeting back down to earth.
Stripped down like the latest offering from The Killers last month ('Pressure Machine') about Brandon Flowers growing up in Utah, this Rick Rubin executive produced album is described by Reynolds as split in two halves. One "organic and inward" and the other "aggressive and outward" and you can definitely feel the shift. The second half is more Imagine's inspirational selves, but you have to earn it through some introspective introduction. Even the mercurial title relates to Reynolds mental health issues and the Dragons shifting genre identity in a world where anyone can be what they want to be yet we are still lost in a war of the mind. The opening 'My Life' gets right to it. "I could run from it all but I'd only get lost/Oh, I've walked down the bridge that I shouldn't have crossed/And I find myself, a user/Oh, I wake every day with addictions to feed/They all call me a friend, but I'll never be freed/From the face of a faithless future." Bet your life on this one like a Dane DeHaan music video. On 'Lonely' one of the worst feelings in this isolated world is explored in all its hurt by all Dan's heart. "Some nights I get a little lonely/It's even when there's people all around me/Sometimes I get a little anxious/'Cause these pills don't work the way the doctor played it," he sings as this medicinal music won't prescribe you pain. The single 'Wrecked' takes us further into this abyss with lines like, "These days I’m becoming everything that I hate/Wishing you were around, but now it’s too late/My mind is a place that can’t escape/Your ghost/Sometimes I wish that i could wish it all away-ay-ay/One more rainy day without you/Sometimes I wish that I could see you one more day/One more rainy day." But hope will come in the end for and from a man who saved his marriage along with his wife.
It all feels like a 'Monday' sometimes with these electro blues, but this album still looks after and teaches you to do the same for '#1' as these chart toppers sing, "when it's all said and done/I'm still my number one," for your new hash-tag trend. Right now the industry and socials is dominated by the rap battle between Kanye West's 'Donda' and 'Certified Lover Boy' Drake like a 'Life Of The Party' Kanye track dissing Drizzy and leaked by Aubrey himself. One featuring an incredible, real and heartfelt Andre 3000 verse and a DMX sample reassuring his daughter for her first time on a rollercoaster that will move you to tears. If not that then Lady Gaga's remix record breaking 'Dawn Of Chromatica' reinvention. But even with all this for your streams, you have to shine light on this neon and noir crossover from the Imagine Dragons that breaths new life into the measures of these desperate times with 'Mercury'. Act like you know as 'Easy Come and Easy Go' like life's ebb and flow. These 'Giants' will take you back to that stadium sound once they've hit the ground. Because the only way is up like Drake starting from the bottom. Now this collective is here and nothing is or was the same. But 'It's Ok' like this campfire sing along delight to ignite. The 'Dull Knives' may be out and this band may now show they can be as blunt as a blade, but once we get to the big, soaring single of 'Follow You', you really will them like the music videos private concert for your headphones. Singing, "I will follow you way down wherever you may go/I'll follow you way down to your deepest low/I'll always be around wherever life takes you/You know I'll follow you." We told you, anthemic hope for all this hurt we've been through and them too. It's 'Cutthroat' sharp with the knives out like a Chris Evans cable knit. Don't sweat it. But before 'One Day' takes you away to peace amongst the pain in closing this band have one more anthem in what we should all be singing in this social media led and ruined day and age. 'No Time For Toxic People' and its opposite of that notion beat drills into us the fact that, "What they talk about/When I'm not around/Got no time for that/As a matter fact/Every day's my birthday/Oh, I hope you heard me." "Do-do-do-do" sing along now and unfollow the troll that stalks you. The Dragons came from arrow almost being pierced through the heart to set fire to music once again. Imagine like Lennon. Now we can't wait for the next act. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks: 'Follow You', 'Wrecked', 'No Time For Toxic People'.
No comments:
Post a Comment