Beirut: No No No (4AD)

 |   |  1 min read

Beirut: At Once
Beirut: No No No (4AD)

Although some writers would have you believe this assured-sounding new album by Zach Condon/Beirut (one of Elsewhere's favorites) is something of a major musical departure, it is not quite extreme as a few have made out.

The endearing elements of Condon's pan-global style and sometimes swooning delivery are all intact (the horns, strings, allusions to various Borderland and Eastern European styles) but all here deftly reined in so the songs -- many in which he sounds slightly exhausted emotionally and on others joyfully soaring -- come through to greater effect.

That however reveals a problem in that a number do seem rather slight when placed alongside some of his previous albums, for example the very ordinary Perth with the lines "seasons come and seasons go" is embellished for effect but at core there's not a lot there, despite it being about him being hospitalized in that city.

Where this differs markedly from previous outings is having the piano to the fore (which suggests how these were originally composed) as on the closer So Allowed, which is also filled out by strings and horns to make it sound somewhat greater than it is.

That said, there is something more appealingly intimate going on here which may well point to a new and maturing direction from one who previously embraced boyish boisterousness.

If he is turning down the charm in favor of personal truth-telling then this is a very confident step in that direction. For the moment though this -- nine songs in half an hour -- doesn't come out as fully realised as it sounds on the first couple of hearings.

Followers can happy sign up, the casual listener might be disappointed by this rather gentle turn away from the Yellow Brick Road to pleasure. 

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   Music at Elsewhere articles index

ONE WE MISSED: The Skull Eclipses: The Skull Eclipses (Western Vinyl/Flying Out)

ONE WE MISSED: The Skull Eclipses: The Skull Eclipses (Western Vinyl/Flying Out)

It's widely accepted these days that when it comes to sonic innovation, studio techniques and the post-modern assimilation of ideas from the vast musical past of recorded music, that hip-hop... > Read more

Mudbelly: Mudbelly (digital outlets)

Mudbelly: Mudbelly (digital outlets)

Quite how this Christchurch rock band could have gone past us for two years is something of a mystery: they are an explosive, disciplined but grimy rock-cum-boogie band alongside the powerful... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

Quick Red Pepper Dip

Quick Red Pepper Dip

This is one of the best ways to get kids to eat vegetables - you'll have to be in quick if you want a bite! Ready in 25 minutes, serves six. INGREDIENTS 1 red pepper 1/2 Tbsp chopped... > Read more

Vij's prawns in coconut masala

Vij's prawns in coconut masala

Here's another one from Vij's deservedly famous Indian restaurant in Vancouver. He says this can be served as an appetizer or as part of a meal with naan or rice. You can substitute canola oil... > Read more