[rating=9.0]
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is the third release by the band of the same name. The group centers around lead singer and songwriter, Alex Ebert and his former paramour and vocalist Jade Castrinos. The moniker is the name of Ebert’s alter ego. The Magnetic Zeros are a cast of a dozen musicians on a variety of instruments.
Sharpe and the Zeros have earned acclaim largely for their relentless touring and charismatic live act. However, the imaginative lyrics, intricate musical detail and depth of sound on Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros belies the band’s true talent and ability.
The first track and single, “Better Days” exemplifies many of the band and album’s strengths: Ebert’s slightly imperfect (in a good way), sultry blue-eyed soul voice, and Castrino’s operatic harmonies, which are interwoven through beautiful melodies. Musically, the band seamlessly shuffles through tempos, beats, sounds, genres and time periods.
“High” another ditty continues the positivity, “Now march with the lonely one percent/All they wanted was a tent/To go marching with their friends, singing songs/I say we let them come along/There’s no protest, they’re just songs/When we’re high on love.” Lyrically, however, it’s not that simple. Ebert (or Sharpe?) addresses life and society’s challenges; love, death, fear, war, religion and government to name a few.
“Two” is a sixties sounding duet with horns and harmonies over a catchy guitar riff. “Please” is an acoustic dirge sounding number, while “Country Calling” is a mid-tempo 70’s sounding rocker with the narrator tiring of Los Angeles.
“Life is Hard” is a soulful ballad and duet that sounds like an outtake from Neil Diamond’s, “The Jazz Singer”. “I Would Be Free” with the lyric “I woke upon a pig of red white and blue/The circus got too heavy so we fell into the zoo/What did you feel?” addresses the things that hold us all back: from clothes, to strife to government, to sexuality. Musically the song features a Beatles’-esque production and chorus.
“In the Lion” has an island feel and beat and“They Were Wrong” is another dark number vocally, lyrically and musically. While demonstrating the band’s versatility the placement also offers a nice contrast to some of the earlier more commercial sounding tracks.
“In the Summer” starts with a slow acoustic feel and gradually builds to a funky horn infused anthem leading into “Remember to Remember, a ballad that features Castrino’s beautiful vocal and a psychedelic chorus.
The album closes with “This Life” an introspective, music to hang yourself by ballad: “I’ve been trying to pretend/That death is my friend/Oh, this life ain’t for me now.” The haunting call of Ebert’s verse is returned in the gospel chorus by Castrino’s questioning of his motivation.
