Rank: 4/5
Wildly successful indie folk band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros has returned with a new album, “PersonA” – a departure from the style of music the band traditionally puts out.

New from @EdwardSharpe! “PersonA” is now available. https://t.co/7BUvjuXfum pic.twitter.com/u1fVvuLGZk
— TIDAL (@TIDALHiFi) April 15, 2016

Just by looking at the album’s cover art, one can see that the band members are aware of this departure. The Christian Letts artwork is overlaid with the text “Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros,” except the words “Edward Sharpe and” are crossed out in the form of a spray painted line, as if to say that the version of the band that everyone knows and loves is gone.
Throughout the record, the 10-person collective delivers a handful of tracks primarily concerning love, although they also touch on topics like religion and other general hardships of life. Songwriting isn’t where the departure from the band’s traditional work can be found, however.
The real departure is seen in the tones conveyed throughout the album, which, at times, come off as eerie and haunting, such as the track “Wake Up The Sun” – a rollercoaster of a song that critiques religion and feels strangely reminiscent of some of David Bowie’s last work on “Blackstar.”
That’s not to say that the group hasn’t included some of the feel-good hippie folk that got their careers to where they are now.
The best track on the project, “No Love Like Yours,” is an uplifting ballad that almost feels like a sequel to 2009’s “Home,” the track that made all of this possible. “Free Stuff” also deserves recognition as one of the better efforts on the project, featuring some truly clever songwriting.
There are times that “PersonA” is fulfilling and uplifting, and there are times that it is melancholic and chilling. Throughout the album, it’s surprising how well Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros were able to transition between the two to create an incredibly cohesive final product.