Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

PersonA

7
7/10
Tom Doz | April 15, 2016

While listening to Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros it's hard not to imagine yourself skipping barefoot through a dewy field while you brush over the top of the high grass with your hands that are out stretched beside you. 

And you are wearing a hemp gown.

....with no underwear because elastic isn't recyclable. 

Something about the hippyness is freeing and maybe a little spiritual. You can almost smell that dreadlock mustiness through your speakers. That signature vibe is just always there with the Magnetic Zeros and draws me in every single fucking time. 

BUT how they manage to hold on to that vibe while exploring new sounds/influences on their new album PersonA is pretty fucking amazing. While listening to the album I sit back and say to myself: man, this part of the song really reminds me of [insert artist] or [insert song] or [insert era]. But it still manages to sound 100% pure Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. It doesn't sound like they are ripping anybody off or unsuccessfully grasping for a vibe outside of their comfort zone. 

The shit just flows like a lubed up priest slippin down the slip n slide. 

Now, I can't say for sure if they were purposely trying to grab influences from different generations, but I get glimpses.....

  • Glimpses of 'Here Comes The Sun' on the track 'Somewhere'. 
  • Glimpses of Thomas Crown Affair on the track 'Wake Up The Sun'.
  • Glimpses of Gatsby-ish 1920's trumpet at the end of the track 'Free Stuff''.
  • Glimpses of Father John Misty on 'Perfect Time': odd lyrics juxtaposed by music meant for the soft lit love songs of the 50's. *The Zeros and Father John Misty might be the only people to use words/phrase like  goo, smashes my junk, breakfast beheadings, etc. sound so beautiful....and romantic.*

And while I just cast a really wide fucking net know that it is somehow cohesive. It's something that you will not fully understand until you listen to PersonA in it's entirety. SO go do just that, you shit stain.