Community Music/Vagrant

Edward Sharpe came out of nowhere in 2007 (well, bandleader Alex Ebert came from the band Ima Robot) and quickly conquered festivals and TVs everywhere with the smash hit “Home.” Cynics were quick to shy away from the hokey, happy hippie vibe, while those less jaded flocked to the quasi-messianic figure. Four years after the debut, Sharpe and his Magnetic Zeros return with Here, an album full of undeniable folk-rock hooks, gospel overtones, infectious lyrics, orchestral swells and a whole lot of love. It’s the kind of stuff that makes you want to throw your arms around a stranger and sing along, even if you hate that kind of thing. You can boil the album down to first song “Man on Fire,” where Ebert sings, “I want the whole damn world to come dance with me.” This band is about bringing people together, and isn’t that what music is really all about? Ebert made this cynic a believer.