Continued Silence by Imagine Dragons (CD)


McKee, B., Reynolds, D., Sermon, W., & Platzman, D. (2012). Continued Silence. [CD]. Hollywood, CA: Westlake Recording Studios.

Genre: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock

Reading level/ interest age: 17+

Plot summary:

Reader’s annotation:

Fans of Keane and the Killers will love this Imagine Dragons album. Beautiful lyrics, fantastic melodies, and amazing voices, this is not a band to miss!

Information about the author:

“After the last note played on the last song of a marathon set a few years ago, Dan Reynolds, frontman for Las Vegas based rockers Imagine Dragons, realized it was all starting to come together. ‘We were playing a gig at this place called O’Sheas, which has the cheapest beer on the strip,’ Reynolds remembers. ‘I was basically standing on top of the drums, the stage was so small. We were on our final song of a six-hour set. I got to the end of the song and just fully passed out in the middle of singing. I came to, got up, finished the song, and we got a standing ovation from all these people at this tiny little casino at three am on a weekday in Vegas. Something about that moment bonded us and made us realize that we were building a connection with people from all over the country.’

“Since then that connection has only grown.  Reynolds and his bandmates – guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee, and drummer Daniel Platzman – independently released three EPs, toured extensively, earning a grass roots following. Then, earlier this year, the band made their major label debut with the release of their Continued Silence EP, which included the breakthrough single ‘It’s Time,’ an anthemic foot-stomping track that perfectly encapsulates the band’s unvarnished emotional sound.  The song, which reached #3 at Modern Rock radio and #2 at AAA, earned the group a 2012 MTV VMA nomination for ‘Best Rock Video.’ With the groundswell of energy ‘It’s Time’ generated, Imagine Dragons are now preparing for the release of their full-length debut, Night Visions, available on Grammy award winning producer Alex Da Kid’s (Eminem, Rihanna) label, KIDinaKORNER. ‘This record has been three years in the making,’ Reynolds explains of his excitement in finally getting to share the album with the world. ‘We feel that we have finally created something we are all truly proud of and that can hopefully inspire others and help them feel a little less alone. That’s what music is about. It’s the greatest communicator I know’” (ImagineDragonsMusic.com, 2014).

Curriculum ties: N/A

Booktalking ideas:

1.       What is your favorite song off the album and why?
2.       Why do you think this band became so popular so fast?

Critical evaluation:

Many of the songs on Continued Silence are uplifting and can encourage listeners. The entire CD has an easy melody to listen to with catchy lyrics. Sound quality is superb and listeners will love this breath of fresh air into the rock scene. Some parts Keane, some parts Killers, Imagine Dragons have their own unique melodies that set them apart from any other band.

Challenge issues: N/A

Why included:

Many of the lyrics talk about realizing different aspects of yourself that make up the picture of who you are. I think that teens will respond positively to the lyrics and can apply them to their own lives. Imagine Dragons is also a current popular band with many of their songs played on the radio.

Reference:

ImagineDragonsMusic.com. (2014). Biography. Retrieved August 29, 2014 from
http://www.imaginedragonsmusic.com/biography

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