Ever since Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros released their eponymously titled album in 2013, little has been heard from them besides the departure of co-lead singer Jade Castrinos. The idiosyncratic harmonies between her and fellow frontman Alex Ebert was the staple of the group’s eclectic dance-folk sound ever since their formation in 2009.
Some circumstances surrounding Castrinos’ 2014 departure remain unclear, with conflicting reports about whether she was kicked out or quit. What is clear, however, is that this is no short hiatus and that it is time for the band to move on without her. The main question has now become what will the band sound like without Castrinos? And are Ebert’s vocals impressive enough to lead the way on his own? The band has definitely answered these questions with their new single, “Hot Coals.”
The roughly seven and a half minute single starts like any other Edward Sharpe song, a steady acoustic guitar melody behind soft vocals, but a minute into Ebert’s crooning, the song abruptly changes moods with a funky piano drop that carries the song the rest of the way. Instrumentation continues to build as an offbeat drum rhythm, orchestral strings and horns all join and create a complicated yet catchy tune.
Ebert succeeds for the most part as the sole vocalist, as the beat matches his singing style and personality. Throughout the song, he adds tasteful grunts that help bring together the overall funk and feeling of the song. His lyrics range from sad and lonely, “Cold eats the flesh of broken hearts,” to religiously hopeful, “Freedom of the dying man is God.”
Though the vocals are sufficient, Ebert ends up sounding like just another instrument in the ten piece folk orchestra that is Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Not that this is bad, though, as the combination of his voice and the background instruments shine more and more as “Hot Coals” continues. The final two minutes of the song features a lyricless conglomerate of sounds that could be the audio counterpart to a Dalí painting. Reverbing trumpets over the building piano and Ebert’s grunts create an otherworldly effect.
“Hot Coals” clearly demonstrates that Edward Sharpe will be able to succeed without Castrinos. This is not solely because Ebert can carry the vocals on his own, but mainly because the background instrumentation has stepped up and realized that it is their turn to define the band’s sound. Look for this to continue on their next album, due out in early 2016.
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