’…Imagine Dragons are producing music for their fans and themselves, and if it hits up a few supermarket radio playlists on the way, I’m sure they won’t complain…’
Are Imagine Dragons really that bad?
Anybody who frequents any amount of music critique publications will probably know that the pop-rock giants are one of the most loathed outfits around. It’s almost as prevalent as the Nickleback hatred; the band are dunked on relentlessly by both professional authors and rookie writers alike for their overproduced, lowest common denominator sound.
But take a look at where the band started, and those criticisms feel more than a little mean-spirited. Their first two records are packed full of charismatic and fun anthems, such as ‘I Bet My Life’ and ‘It’s Time’, whilst their third album is packed with slick, underrated synth-pop styled bangers like ‘I Don’t Know Why’. The band even produced a genuinely beautiful acoustic ballad about mental health with ‘I Was Me’. Certainly, the band have a tendency to stray into ‘unbearably cheesy’ territory, and their sound is less challenging than wrestling a toddler, but just try and not sing along to ‘Radioactive’.
They’re easy to drag down because they represent the simplistic and the mainstream, and frankly, having skipped out on their records since ‘Evolve’, I anticipated much of the criticism surrounding ‘Loom’ would be more attempts from the masses to harshly critique a band simply because of the persona they present with.
For the first few moments, ‘Loom’, once again, seems like an unfairly criticised record. Opening up with ‘Wake Up’, the album kicks off with immense, electrifying instrumentals that are buoyed by a swaggering rhythm. It’s like the best parts of modern Muse, condensed into pop form.
Then come the vocals.
Imagine you purchased a bootleg, old-school Eminem record from Wish. That is how Dan Reynolds sounds here. Throughout the track, Reynolds performs these baffling, irritating little vocal hooks that sound like a tape being rewound, whilst maintaining a strange vocal flow that truly makes him sound like a terrible Eminem impersonator. It is an incredibly jarring experience that is impossible to ignore, no matter how good the rest of the track is.
You see, the problem with ‘Loom’ is that nothing here feels original. The vocals often sound like they’re impersonating other vocalists, whilst many of the instrumentals sound like they’re produced by an algorithm developed to create music for a H&M playlist.
The breezy synth-pop of ‘Nice to Meet You’ is catchy, but totally unremarkable; it feels like it could have been written by anyone with the intention of making it big on shopping haul TikTok. The faux coolness of ‘Eyes Closed’ does possesses some amount of charm to it, but in the same way one might find a lame duck charming; the band are trying so desperately to sound slick and relevant, but it just ends up feeling a tiny bit pathetic to behold.
One of the most baffling moments comes in the form of ‘Take Me To The Beach’. Not only is it horribly dated to the ears, but Reynolds sounds very specifically like a young Will Smith, leading to what can only be described as a hilarious car crash of a sonic experience. If he had simply utilised his usual vocal style, this would have been nothing more than a drab retro-tinged filler track. Instead, we’re treated to what sounds like a lost cut from ‘Lost and Found’, and I think that is kind of beautiful.
Ultimately however, ‘Loom’ is shockingly not a bad album. It certainly has some terrible creative decisions, but for the most part, everything is performed well, with one glossy synth-pop anthem after another. To those that have stuck by Imagine Dragons, it’s going to be another great album. To those that enjoy their music sounding as big and catchy as possible, there’s definitely something here worth listening to. To those seeking their next stadium music experience, this is right here waiting for you.
But for those looking for a well thought out, nuanced, ambitious, or inventive listen, this isn’t the record for you. Imagine Dragons are producing music for their fans and themselves, and if it hits up a few supermarket radio playlists on the way, I’m sure they won’t complain. And frankly, that is worth some degree of admiration.
I think I’m happy with just sticking by your first three albums, but you know what, Imagine Dragons? Stay goofy; the world is a better place with you in it.
RATING: 54/100 –
For Fans Of: AJR, Glass Animals, blackbear, Twenty One Pilots, Weezer
Physical copies of the album are available to purchase here.
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