“PersonA,” by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, is one of the better indie rock albums I have listened to in a while. Most of “PersonA” maintains a slower and mellower tone, usually revolving around lighter themes. But every now and then, the tempo will pick up, or the themes in the lyrics will take a more serious route. My three personal favorites from this album are “Hot Coals,” “Perfect Time” and “The Ballad of Yaya.” The album starts with the song “Hot Coals,” a strong and lengthy introduction to the album that hooked me from the start and let me know that I was going to thoroughly enjoy the entire album. The song exceeds seven minutes and uses a wide variety of instruments, with a leading piano melody, and the mellow voice of lead singer Alex Ebert. “Hot Coals” draws elements for several different genres, including indie rock, folk and surprisingly funk. “Perfect Time” begins with a beautiful trumpet intro, followed by a soft piano melody, but with a very strong vocal performance. The final song, “The Ballad of Yaya,” starts off slower with a horn intro leading into and acoustic guitar, but progressively builds throughout with a faster tempo. This song has a very catchy chorus and uses voice harmonies beautifully. Without a doubt, “The Ballad of Yaya” is my favorite song on “PersonA,” and it provides a wonderful close to the album. This album is definitely one of my favorites to be released so far in 2016.
