jukebox, record player and other stories.: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Friday, February 26, 2010

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Image Source: Last Fm V.I.A google images

I often (accidentally) call them ‘Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Heroes’ - LOL. I first heard of this band on an episode of Ugly Betty (this season has been a great source of new music). I wrote the lyrics down, did some googling and discovered ‘Home’ and it is easily the best song on the album - ‘Up From Below’.

I didn’t immediately warm to the album, I think I wasn’t paying enough attention to it. I was watching Nip tuck (I think) and a song came on, I loved it and rushed to google the lyrics while I could still remember them and it turned out to be ‘40 day dream’. This is a testament to how little attention I paid to the album, I knew the song sounded familiar but I couldn’t figure out where I had heard it.

After this revelation, I listened to the album again. This time, I was left with a whimsical album with no clear genre. It’s light heartedness and quirky nature occasionally reminds me a bit of stuff by Devendra Banhart . If it had to be categorised I guess “hippie” would be the best way to describe it, but hippie is not a genre so we are left with a genre defying album that has traces of country and good old pop.

If you download ‘Up From Below’ expecting an album full of songs like 'Home' then you’ll be let down a tiny bit like I was. But if you stay with it, you’ll find yourself listening for ‘Home’, but staying on for tracks like ‘Janglin’ whose chorus sounds like something out of a kid’s TV show. ‘Up From Below’ makes me wish it was summer; it makes me want to skip as I walk down the road, and it chases always dark clouds with an old fashion broom with a long stick. I know all that might sound cheesey or contrived, but if you listen to the album, it will all make sense.

Music like this rarely ever gets the mainstream recognition it deserves. I guess it is because the music is ‘safe’ and so is the band. They need to dress outrageously, get into a bitch fight with Sufjan Stevens, cut Devendra Banhart’s hair after getting him high on opiates.

Listen to:
Janglin