Imagine Dragons - Origins
Critic Score
Based on 12 reviews
2018 Ratings: #887 / 890
User Score
2018 Rank: #818
Liked by 32 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

80
The Independent

Origins is further proof of Reynolds’ pop songwriting capabilities and also his ambition when it comes to pushing the messages that matter onto the charts. And there’s no doubting his sincerity. It’s a refreshing quality in a pop frontman.

60
AllMusic

Listening to Origins uncannily re-creates what it's like to experience-or maybe more accurately, consume-popular rock-oriented music in 2018: everything sounds vaguely familiar, vaguely connected, all designed to function as a soundtrack to whatever task you'd like.

53
Pitchfork

Since their songs scan like a competent survey of the entirety of mid-aughts pop rock, there’s no real personality to identify within the songs. Origins wants to conversate with the current moment, but it never amounts to a coherent statement.

50
PopMatters

Imagine Dragons are confident in their capability and knowledge of pop music, but Origins tries too hard to demonstrate their varied interests with the results generic and indistinct.

50
Rolling Stone
Unfortunately Imagine Dragons’ actual vision is one that is milquetoast, formulaic, nearly anonymous, free of any real lyrical insight.
40
NME
Scattershot and uninspired, ‘Origins’, the fourth album from the bafflingly popular Imagine Dragons, makes for a gruelling listen.
40
The Guardian

If they really are troubled by their success or how they’re perceived, their dark night of the soul looks set to continue apace: cliches, cod profundities and all, Origins sounds like another vast hit.

40
The Irish Times

For a band so concerned with losing their identity among the masses (or the charts), Origins fails to deliver anything distinctive; but, for a band that regularly sells out arenas and stadiums, the nothingness of their lyrics will be drowned out by the rest of their noise.

22
GIGsoup
This is background music that your finger can blindly navigate towards the “Add To Playlist” button to.
20
Sputnikmusic

Origins is an album that seemingly has it all. Any piece that can cover an emotional spectrum ranging from gruff cries all the way to handclaps must have a lot to offer.

20
The Young Folks
When Reynolds isn’t plagiarizing his own work, the lead singer is just making the most indifferent and ponderous music in modern rock/pop. There’s absolutely no way someone could feel anything of value when listening to this.
BradTasteMusic
12

I’ll start with positives about this album since all it seems to be getting is bandwagoned hate (certainly not disagreeing or saying I would do any different, but it is easy to rate an album super low when everyone else is calling it total garbage.)

+The transitions between songs are very pleasant. The album has a really nice flow to it. I enjoyed how songs moved from A to B.

+The vocals certainly are not nearly as lifeless as they felt on Evolve.

+Production sounds quite expensive, ... read more

LepardRyan
NR

why are you out here rating an imagine dragons album in 2018

ElectricMess
35

Imagine Dragons' most impressive talent is making 40 minutes feel like two hours

Favorite Track: Cool Out

Least Favorite Tracks: Boomerang, Zero, Machine, Only, Digital

Ardent
0

Indeed, your Origins were better.

I'll start this review by saying, I think my brain has been completely fried to the point I thought "Digital" was the best song on this thing. The lowest rated song, in my opinion, is the best.

By no means good, it's still an insult to music, but honestly it could be worse. It could be "Boomerang"

Also, with almost every single album, somehow Imagine Dragons gets lazier and lazier with their track names. You habe a song on here called ... read more

JustC
10

Natural, bad liar and the Ralph song are the only good song's here

amaremo27
13

I WANT A NEW WORLD WITHOUT THE ORDER

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Track List

1Natural
3:09
65
2Boomerang
3:07
43
3Machine
3:01
47
4Cool Out
3:37
50
5Bad Liar
4:20
52
6West Coast
3:37
45
7Zero
3:30
43
8Bullet In A Gun
3:24
45
9Digital
3:21
32
10Only
3:00
43
11Stuck
3:10
38
12Love
2:46
39
Total Length: 40 minutes

Year End Lists

#56/God Is In The TV
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Added on: October 4, 2018