The song grapples with the after-effects of achieving fame and dealing with who and what you can and cannot trust.
The beginning will have you checking your speakers as a skipping vocal is laced over tribal drums and background chanting. The consistency continues with “Gold,” an alt-rock spin on the classic “all that glitters is not gold” adage. It’s just a shame that the title will unconsciously conjure up images of Lil Jon. Imagine Dragons released three singles prior to the album’s release - “ I Bet My Life,” “Gold” and “Shots.” The track “ Shots” opens the album with an elevating instrumental that throws you right back into their world. Translating the touring life onto a record could have made for a disjointed effort, but Smoke + Mirrors, instead, showcases the band’s maturation over the past few years. The travels inspired much of the new album, and the band used the emotions from the tour to create 13 distinct stories on 13 songs. The band’s worldwide Night Visions Tour brought it to Europe, South America, Oceania and even a brief stint in Lebanon.
Its trademark hooking intros and catchy choruses are ever-present. The band returns with another collection of singles chock-full of clapping and chanting. From there, what happened in Vegas certainly couldn’t just be the city’s secret, so the band embarked on a worldwide tour.
After honing its craft of catchy alt-rock anthems in Vegas for three years (and several EPs), the group released Night Visions, its first studio album, to monumental success. The band formed in Sin City in 2009 with Dan Reynolds on vocals, Wayne Sermon on guitar, Daniel Platzman on drums and percussion and Ben McKee on bass. Imagine Dragons returns, older and wiser, with its sophomore album, Smoke + Mirrors. After a double-platinum album and nearly two years of rocking the world on tour, the alternative rock band from Las Vegas is back with new material.