I swore to myself that I would not post a Beirut review because a lot of blogs have done it better. But I will nonetheless. 19 year-old Albuquerque native (now relocated to New York) Zach Condon is Beirut. His latest album has been receiving tremendous amount on buzz around the blogosphere and deservedly so.
With assistance by drummer Jeremy Barnes (Neutral Milk Hotel, A Hawk and a Hacksaw) and Heather Trost (A Hawk and a Hacksaw), Beirut makes beautiful tracks that are inspired mostly by Balkan folk music. He takes us to a road-trip through Europe, soaking us into as much culture as possible. The title track "Gulag Orkestar", with its lush instrumentation, never ceases to amaze me. I always hear something new whenever I listen to it. "Postcards from Italy" is surprisingly danceable folk song with gypsy-inspired horns and beats. If Yann Tiersen and Rufus Wainwright had a lovechild, "Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)" would definitely be it. Lovely accordion music, beats and tambourine together with Zach Condon's magnificent crooning make this French-inspired track one my favorite songs this year.
Give Beirut a listen (if you haven't already), I'm sure you'll like it.
MP3: Beirut – Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)
MP3: Beirut – Postcards From Italy
MP3: Beirut – Gulag Orkestar
buy it at Ba Da Bing records or Amazon.com
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