But it’s hardly the only glimmer of romance here. The track was such a significant emotional shift-that the outfit decided to add it to the top of the album’s 2018 reissue. In a sense, Imagine Dragons’ evolution here is felt more in spirit than sound, and nothing says that more than the shuffling, gospel-tinged “Next To Me,” the band’s first big love song. Even the militaristic stomp of a song literally called “Thunder” is tempered by giddy, helium-pumped vocals. Sure, there are a few sizzles of power-ballad guitar tossed in for good measure, but Evolve is Imagine Dragons proving it can still galvanize the forces by dialing down on the thundering rock theatrics-just a bit. Sonically, this is the best-selling rock band of the 2010s going full-out pop. Where 2015 follow-up Smoke + Mirrors had a heavier, darker bite, 2017's Evolve is noticeably lighter, buoyed by more heart, soul, and groove. That’s because frontman Dan Reynolds wrote most of it after coming out of a serious depression that had plagued him since childhood but worsened after the band’s first major tour to support its hugely successful 2012 debut album. Longtime Imagine Dragons fans will notice a newfound brightness on the Las Vegas band’s third album.
