On debut album Night Visions, Imagine Dragons swing for the cheap seats with a huge, arena-made sound, offering track after track of hooky and emotional midtempo jams, with songs like the already ubiquitous, seemingly soundtrack-ready "It's Time" worming their way into the part of the brain that traps songs against listeners' will. And while the band's electronically reinforced sound sometimes seems to lack depth, "Every Night" will have some listeners unconsciously reaching for a lighter to wave in the air before they realize what they're doing -- and this is exactly the kind of surface pleasure that attracts us to pop music in the first place. At least for a few minutes at a time, Night Visions makes everyday life seem just a little bit bigger. ~ Gregory Heaney|
Rovi
全米2位をマークしたラスヴェガスの4人組によるメジャー・デビュー作。アリーナ・ロックとシンセ・サウンドの折衷はコールドプレイや同郷のキラーズを連想させるものの、EDMの影響も含め、よりビート・オリエンテッドなサウンドがこのバンドの持ち味だろう。アフリカンなリズムが軽快な“On Top Of TheWorld”がサッカー・ゲーム「FIFA 13」に使われることも決定し、本国ではもうひと盛り上がりしそうな予感。
bounce (C)山口智男
タワーレコード(vol.350(2012年11月25日発行号)掲載)