The Root of the Problem Is Imagine Dragons Milk The Chorus

Noodling around in the studio surely equates to necessary evil. For Imagine Dragons I can tell there are various elements fighting to create an enjoyable unit. Piano works well. Chorus feels harmonious to a point. Vocals ring solid. However, where's the wow that leads to a song that lingers, that people will talk about for some time to come? That folks is a mystery lacking a clear resolution. Dan Reynolds has a nice voice but between the tripping over the amp plug in percussion and the thick texture radiating from said voice "Roots" fails to give Dan the showcase his voice needs. The song isn't long enough to justify the sheer number of times the chorus gets squashed in. I think the piano takes uneven center stage at the expense of a well rounded sound. The lyrics aren't very captivating simply because, again, not a long enough song to get very comfortable with them. Dan sums up day to day fine but we've heard it so many times we could recite it in our collective sleep. "Another high, another low." Yes, it sounds like something familiar, achingly familiar. It's hard to work up much lather when the guys themselves appear lost in improvisation mode, unable to pick a foundation and stick with it. At under three minutes, how can you bring "Roots" over to the couch and invite it in for a cocktail or three? Answer? You really can't. Imagine Dragons is capable of exerting far more enthusiasm than this song would indicate. These guys are based in Las Vegas, gambling mecca of the universe. You'd hope that daylight 24/7 excitement would lead to better writing but, as I've heard it said in my own family, "If wishes were horses then beggars would ride. The horse I speak of clearly is staying put in the stable. It's a tad disheartening that Daniel Wayne Sermon, Ben McKee, and Daniel Platzman are barely heard from outside of the chorus. It might have been nice had they been given license to ramp up the focus on guitar somewhat. You don't get much chance to let the piano drip into your conscious mind. Talk about being thrown into the deep end of the water without so much of a howdy doo. I know lots of what gets tossed into the public eye amounts to heaping globs of disposable popular culture. "Roots" may proudly (?) take its place. "Roots" has not demonstrated why it should take root in your eardrums. Light breeze, nothing more.