The tunes of Los Angeles-based band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is a mixture of folky, earthy and blues-based notes. In their newest album “Here,” the 12-piece band brings a catchy, tranquilizing collection of sing-alongs to the stage. @@http://edwardsharpeandthemagneticzeros.com/@@
“Here” starts with “Man On Fire,” which opens with an acoustic guitar performance and mostly reverb. However, “Man on Fire” is no “Home,” which, from their previous album “Up from Below,” proved to be quite the catchy sing-along to so many. @@http://www.myspace.com/edwardsharpe/music/albums/here-18542581@@
Though “Man on Fire” may not be as awesome as some of their other tracks from previous albums, the band does not stray from the usual theme. In the song, frontman Alex Ebert sings about his dream of “having the whole damn world dance with him.” He belts out lyrics that represent a universal need for safety, love and comfort. @@http://alexanderebert.com/@@
The songs do get progressively weirder because, let’s be real, you cannot have Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros without some unusual and freaky things going on.
The album continues with “That’s What’s Up,” an addictive track that will have you blasting your radio and stomping your feet to the beat. “Then I found forever, hey! Hey! Love! We’ve been best friends forever darling. That’s what’s up!” @@lyrics checked@@Ebert conveys here the need for love and comfort. He strays from the usual slow, sappy song and delivers a powerful, upbeat track.
With hippie-folk rock as their strength, “Here” focuses more on the music than their last album did. It is quirky and weird just like the band, but more meditative. The lyrics in this album are less ambrosial and delicate, and Ebert dedicates many of the songs to more tasty themes.
While the album features some upbeat songs, it does have its fair share of more chill music. “Mayla,” “Child” and the closing song “All Wash Out” are a mixture of relaxing tones and rhymes that stimulate serenity.@@http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/here/id512724537@@
The Magnetic Zeros offer some variation in their music, as well. There is “One Love to Another,” which is basically a mimic of something you would hear from Bob Marley. “Dear Believer” is yet another tempo-raiser with lyrics like “Anger, anger, you’re finally my bitch.” However, the song is really anything but catchy. It sounds like something straight out of the ‘70s, and while it may raise the tempo a bit, it is still too slow for its lyrics.
The album continues with “I Don’t Wanna Pray,” which demonstrates a hippie’s take on gospel music. “I don’t wanna pray to my maker/I just want to be free.” The song has a pleasing beat that will keep you bopping your head, but the lyrics can be difficult to understand at times.
Overall, the album paces itself well. At times, there are songs that will have listeners singing along, bopping their heads and stomping their feet to the beat. Yet, there are songs like “I Don’t Wanna Pray and “Dear Believer” that can be hard to understand the words. While their previous album “Up From Below” was crazier with the upbeat repeater “Home,” “Here” has a more relaxing and meditative tone.
Grade: B