Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros’ Here

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros have that special ability to summon big group sing-alongs with the sheer magnitude of their sound, which they relayed so intensely on 2009’s Up From Below. The delightful catharsis continues with Here, the band’s sophomore release, recorded in their new Ojai studio. Here is a slower reward than its predecessor; it doesn’t hit you across the head as much as fill the body with the warmth of familiarity with each additional listen. “That’s What’s Up” is the album’s strongpoint and offers the most instant satisfaction. The song finds frontman Alex Ebert and singer Jade Castrinos sharing vocal duty, reminding us of the call-and-response that gave “Home” so much of its gravitational power. Meanwhile album closer “All Wash Out” manages to take lyrics like “Love is something to believe in” beyond cliché-dom and turn them into something far more resonant: a confirmation of past doubt and present resolution.