Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
PersonA

Album Release Date: April 15th, 2016

There've been some significant lineup changes since The Zeros' previous album, and not for the better. Most noticeably, main female vocalist Jade Castrinos, who previously shared a lot of singing time with frontman Alex Ebert (A.K.A. Edward Sharpe), is gone. This is a real shame because she was a gem in this folk-rock ensemble of a dozen or so members, shining in every verse we had the pleasure to hear her in. The other longtime female member, accordionist and occasional vocalist Nora Kirkpatrick, is gone too. So we're left with a strictly male group, and while the results of PersonA are marginally similar in sound as their previous albums, the lack of female presence contributes to a notably diminished richness in texture.

Ebert founded the group in 2007 with Castrinos, and while he's composed most of their songs, she and other band members have contributed songwriting credits on occasion. He has shown a talent for writing catchy folk-rock songs with anthemic dimensions, balancing melodic phrases of ethereal beauty with emotional resonance. This is evident with numerous songs on the group's previous albums, such as the instant classic "Home" from debut Up from Below (2009), and "That's What's Up" from their masterpiece sophomore release Here (2012). Ebert's said that Edward Sharpe, his alter ego, is a fictional messianic character sent to Earth to heal mankind. His status as the band's frontman has never been about him being a superstar, but more so that he's been a humble leader, a rock band visionary whose creative sensibilities and demeanour have brought together this collective of consummate musicians known as The Magnetic Zeros. Together, their image, sound, and values evoke the hippie movement of the 1960s and '70s.

It's this very quality of Ebert's, of understated rock star talent without the glamour and glitz, that has led to his band's best attribute of featuring the music first and foremost, without letting the many personalities behind it get in the way. It's what allowed Castrinos to radiate so brightly on the band's first three albums before she was ousted in 2014. The exact reasons behind her departure haven't been made public, but one can imagine all the difficulties that an outfit this large may experience, with battling egos and such. Maybe that's why Castrinos left, because she was a clear highlight amongst the band's vast personnel lineup—far more exciting than Ebert himself. So maybe this didn't jibe with Ebert's or the band's vision. The two were romantically involved for a time when they started the band, although continued making music together long after they broke up as a couple. Castrinos once said they "spent five years on mushrooms" together. In any case, her departure is a big loss for the fans. I'd hoped that an upside of her leaving might be that we'd get to hear some solo recordings, but nothing has emerged yet (although it's been rumoured that she's been working on an album since 2012 when she was still in The Magnetic Zeros). Castrinos has appeared with her own band in various festival performances though, so it's good to know that she's still out there doing her thing. But there's still no album. And even if/when it comes, there's no guarantee that it'll rival her best work with The Zeros, since musicians often write better music within a specific band environment.

Such is the case with PersonA, The Zeros' 4th album, in which Ebert has stated that the songwriting was shared amongst all band members, rather than he handling about 80% of it as with previous albums. Plus it was recorded with the whole band playing together in the same room, giving it an organic feel. The new album cover and all recent concert posters feature the name Edward Sharpe crossed out, symbolizing the band's new approach. But it's their least exciting album to date. None of the songs on Ebert's one solo album Alexander (2011), nor on the three albums by his other band Ima Robot, nor on PersonA, resound as strongly as his previous best work with The Zeros. So, this leads to a conclusion that The Zeros made their best music when Ebert was the primary songwriter, and with Jade's presence in the band.

Ebert recently had his first child, so maybe that's a factor in this album's generally mellow, reflective content. Occasionally this is an asset, as with the pleasantly soft "Lullaby", but it's the first of the band's albums to date to have so few instant standouts. The biggest highlight is the playful mid-album song "Free Stuff", and closer "The Ballad of Yaya" also succeeds as one of few tracks that comes close to capturing the qualities of The Zeros' best past numbers. But overall, PersonA lacks the magical quirks that reverberated so abundantly throughout their previous albums. I can't help but feel that the collective songwriting here has resulted in a dispersal of clear direction in theme and feel, as it's mostly kind of vague and lackluster compared to earlier works. But, as a band that's previously released three outstanding albums, I'm willing to give them a pass on this one, with the hope that they'll work out their new incarnation without Castrinos. And here's hoping that we hear some new work come out from her as well, as the absence of her distinct, whimsical voice is certainly a major loss for the audience.
• Nik Dobrinsky / Boy Drinks Ink
May 15th, 2016