Imagine Dragons’ ‘Origins’ review

Do Imagine Dragons ever sleep? Not apparently. Less than a year and a half after releasing the double-platinum album Evolve and criss-crossing the globe on a 100-date tour, the band is back with a dozen new songs. Whew.

Origins is supposed to be a sister companion to last year’s monster Evolve and it’s an intriguing follow-up, offering more textures and sonic experiments. If Origins was the band stalking around as an arena powerhouse, Origins is their quirky little sister, making cool stuff in her bedroom. Don’t let the first single, Natural, fool you. That slice of bombastic, fist-pumping bravado seems to indicate more of the same on Origins, but they drift into other areas, like the blissed-out summer jam Cool Out that could be on a DNCE album, and the gloriously anarchic, disruptive Digital.

Lyrically, Origins dwells on modern-day alienation and the band’s uncomfortable relationship to its own fame. On Zero, lead singer Dan Reynolds reminds everyone he once felt empty and unreal. On the moody Bullet in a Gun, he notes sadly: “To make a name you pay the price”.

The new album extends the band’s flirtation with Charles Darwin — taking its name from On the Origin of Species and coming right after Evolve. In some ways, the names should be reversed: Origins shows their sound really evolving. —AP