Up From Below
by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
  • Record Label: Vagrant
  • Release Date: Jul 14, 2009
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 43 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 43
  3. Negative: 3 out of 43

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Goodonya
    Oct 12, 2011
    9
    Forget all the trappings of hippie cliches and get your head out of the sand and just listen. This is a fine album with great song writing. Looking forward to their next effort. Go see them live. They're amazing.
  2. EricC
    Aug 31, 2009
    3
    Way too selfconciously cutesy and quirky to swallow without gagging. Harsh? Probably. But this is the kind of boring, formulaic indie rock that led to the derogatory term "hipster". The talent is definitely there, but when the aesthetic is this irritating, it's just impossible to enjoy this album. How the hype machine got going for these guys is beyond me. So many other bands are Way too selfconciously cutesy and quirky to swallow without gagging. Harsh? Probably. But this is the kind of boring, formulaic indie rock that led to the derogatory term "hipster". The talent is definitely there, but when the aesthetic is this irritating, it's just impossible to enjoy this album. How the hype machine got going for these guys is beyond me. So many other bands are doing this, and doing it better. And that's it.… Expand
  3. tinyleviathan
    Aug 20, 2010
    5
    I listened to this album over and over for about a week but I failed to grow a beard, wear bold plaid shirts, or ride a fixie. So I think most the magic was lost after a few listens. Your results may vary.
  4. DMorton
    Dec 4, 2010
    9
    I think this is an excellent album. In fact, it's so good, I'm confused about the Pitchfork review that gave it 4.1 stars. Yes, I agree, Ebert has reemerged with a different style lead singer than he was with Ima Robot, but so what? How is this any different than the Beatles starting the 60's with a rather clean cut (if somewhat moppy-headed) aura and ending in the late 60's with longI think this is an excellent album. In fact, it's so good, I'm confused about the Pitchfork review that gave it 4.1 stars. Yes, I agree, Ebert has reemerged with a different style lead singer than he was with Ima Robot, but so what? How is this any different than the Beatles starting the 60's with a rather clean cut (if somewhat moppy-headed) aura and ending in the late 60's with long hair and beards, ushering in Eastern religion into the cultural milieu of the day? Big deal. People change. Artists change. Most lasting musicians reinvent themselves several times throughout their career. In fact, the mark of a musician that does typically last is his/her inability or unwillingness to reinvent his/her personal presentation. So now that we've gotten that out of the way, and we're facing the truth that musicians do actually make music to succeed, and in order to succeed, they have to sell albums, let's turn to the music. I'll get the hard part out of the way. This band is clearly not trying to fit in with the modern "acceptable range" of music (Arcade Fire, Florence + the Machine, etc) today, which mostly deals in cutting looks at the negatives we see in the world today. Their "1960's hippie" feel in 2010 simply shows their courage to display something different. I'm not too happy with the "messianic" presentation of "Edward Sharpe" he's painted, but leaving that behind, the music is simply stellar. This is a well-studied reinterpretation of 1960's psychedelic folk rock. It's one of the most laid back albums in that genre that you're going to find, that doesn't go overboard with an unusual obsession for Bob Marley, the Beatles, or any other major root. They show an honest respect for their predecessors without sounding repetitive or too focused on one influence or another. In other words, they're original, without being too original, and they've aimed for, and successfully recreated the sound of an era, presenting it in a way that is palatable to the modern ear. There's not a single song on this album that is going to grate on your nerves. To be honest, the album leaves you feeling happy and relaxed. If you're looking for a sharp dystopian outlook on suburban life, or a depressing analysis of modern information overload, look elsewhere, there's none of that here. There's a playful innocence to this album that is as happy as the Weepies, without sounding too saccharin at the same time. My guess is that many who reviewed this album were simply not approaching it with an open mind. So many recent albums that have come out recently are based around a sharp, sometimes biting analysis of the woes of the current economic crisis or the seeming lack of authenticity in the world today, that we've adjusted our palettes to hear this kind of music. Expect good music from this album, and listen to it on a day when you're not trying to find misery as your best company, and you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised.… Expand
  5. ziggy2dope
    Feb 1, 2011
    8
    Full Review is available here: http://thecriticalfan.blogspot.com/2011/02/music-review-edward-sharpe-and-magnetic.html

    When this album came out way back in 2009, it was rightfully categorized as a throwback to the free-love lyrics and â

Awards & Rankings

96
#96 Most Shared Album of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
66

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. AllMusic
    60
    Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros have crafted a love letter to Laurel Canyon and all of its quasi-mystic juju that is as infuriatingly contrived and retro as it is forward-thinking and majestic.
    Read full review
  2. Drowned In Sound
    70
    Following a good few listens, Up From Below's ebb and flow is replaced with definite peaks and troughs, leaving such highlights dulled down.
    Read full review
  3. Rolling Stone
    60
    The group's attempts to evoke Age of Aquarius utopianism are suffocated by self-consciousness; the record feels like an art-college thesis.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »