Album Review: PersonA by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

“Home” is one of the songs that will be on the classics station when our generation is in our sixties.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have made an impression in our generation with just that one song. However, the band refused to be a one hit wonder.

They have had three full-length albums released after album Up From Below which featured “Home” and “40 Day Dream.”

The latest album, PersonA was released earlier this month.

PersonA was released April 15, 2016 and stood out in a crowd of new releases. For that week the new albums were mostly rap and pop.

For starters the album artwork for PersonA is drastically different than this band’s wonted colorful and bright covers.

This one features a dark painting by artist Christian Letts and the band name is in plain and large font. Here’s the kicker: EDWARD SHARPE AND has a red spray painted strike through it leaving only THE MAGNETIC ZEROS readable. Is this saying that the band has changed their name and killing off the non-existing but oh so loveable Edward Sharpe?

Lead singer Alex Ebert commented on Edward Sharpe’s name being crossed off to transversomedia.com by saying, “There was no character to begin with, so why not kill him? He never really was there. If anything, and at most, Edward Sharpe was a vehicle for me to get to slough off whatever I had become up until that point, and to get back to or sort of allow my pure self to come forth into sort of a clean slate.”

Just by looking at the cover the fans can already feel the somber, yet powerful energy to be brought by this album.

Factors that led to this album’s change in tune go hand in hand with Ebert’s first child being born as well as co-founder Jade Castrinos’ departure from the group.

To speak even more to the intensity of this record; this is the first time that all ten members wrote through it’s entirety.

Within so many firsts for this album Ebert’s signature voice sounds through as well as some upbeat and catchy hippie beats.

Noteable works from PersonA are:

“Lullaby,” which was written for Ebert’s daughter.

“Hot Coals,” which I vote most likely to get stuck in your head.

“Let It Down,” sits as my personal favorite.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (or now just The Magnetic Zeros?) will headline this year’s Free Press Summer Fest performing on Saturday night. Keep an ear open to hear “No Love Like Yours.”

Here’s the video:

By Corina Carrizales