Edward Sharpe frontman fails at solo debut
By Alex McPherson
Published: Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Updated: Tuesday, March 1, 2011 23:03
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Alex Ebert, frontman for Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. Ebert’s new solo debut falls short of expectations.
From the pop/punk of Ima Robot to the friendly folk of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, what is there that Alex Ebert can't do?
Front man for both bands, Alex Ebert, has created an album for himself, by himself.
"I wanted to be able to build an album basically with my hands, like building a house by myself," Ebert said in a press release.
His first solo album, "Alexander," shows off his insane talents as he's written, arranged and performed each instrument and intimate sound.
While similar in genre, it's a fantastic difference from the 10-piece band that makes up Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros.
The tracks are more raw, and each instrument has a distinctive impact on the song as a whole.
Using a thrift store Lowrey organ and a vintage violin, along with his usual folksy guitar, Ebert adds just enough instrumentation to keep the
listener intent.
His occasional sound effects, using whatever he could find, also add a homegrown feeling to many tracks.
The opener, "Let's Win!" is a wildly catchy diddy with plenty of obscure background sounds that keep heads bobbing throughout.
"Truth" shows off some whistling in fun, western fashion, while Ebert uses spoken-word raps to address the darkness in the world, while he's only
looking for love and the truth.
With fun, lovey-dovey lyrics, "A Million Years" features a great self-made chorus harmony proving exactly how high Ebert's voice can go.
For a mellow and basic album, "Alexander" has its bright moments and certainly shows the continuous evolution of this ever-changing artist.
However, as a crowd pleaser, it falls flat and is a tad too plain to garner the rabid fan love like "Home" of his Edward Sharpe fame.
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