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Long before Zach Condon of Beirut presented us with his most recent output, a double EP titled March of the Zapotec and Realpeople: Holland the media presented us with a rumor of some grand orchestral scheme including bands from the Oaxacan region of Mexico. Patiently, we awaited for the arrival, of not only new tunes, but for the next set of exploratory sounds pushed out by the young genius.
Sadly, the first EP, March of the Zapotec, doesn’t really seem to be rooted into much of the Latin culture. For one, the presence of tuba and accordion definitely detract, or perhaps are more overbearing, in regards to the sound one would typically hear in quaint Mexican neighborhoods. “La Llorona,” the first real song, doesn’t even have a Latin twist at all, instead seeming like an extra piece left over from Gulag Orkestar. Maybe adding and extra layer of horns aids the cause, but very little.
The songs where he does delve into a little bit of the flavor one would come to expect from a Oaxacan regional band have little or no lyrics at all. In fact, they seem like instrumental pieces tacked on to the EP as filler, and in a way, to show that Zach indeed did follow through with his desire to include a new flavor from South of the New Mexican border, but perhaps he should have gone way mariachi because the songs on this half of the EP are lacking.
Realpeople: Holland is an entirely different step then what we are given on the first EP; instead, Zach seems to go into the bedroom, digging deeply into that box in his closet in order to pull up all those Depeche Mode bits he recorded as a young child wearing eyeliner. It’s his voice that wins you over here, which is going to be the case when juxtaposed from with the simple keyboard elements presented here.
Interestingly, some of these songs actually work well. It’s a side we, as listeners, aren’t accustomed to when listening to a Beirut product. His voice always carries a semblance of the personal touch along with it, but here the quiet behavior of electronic elements in the background make it more so than ever before. He seems almost vulnerable.
Wait, did he just loop his accordion? Is that what you hear on “The Concubine?” If so, then this part of the album definitely has showcased new direction and strengths, but still, it’s far too short to climb the walls to that spot reserved for your favorite albums. His inconsistency here leaves one questioning exactly where he can go next, as it has been quite some time since he completely won you over with his originality and style. For now, he seems to be treading water, trying new things and putting out mediocre EPs.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/01-my-night-with-the-prostitute-from-marseille.mp3]
Download: Beirut – My Night with the Prostitute from Marseille [MP3]
Hey, I know the internet is already abuzz with this video, as any new video from Zach Condon’s Beirut ought to bring, but it’s possible that you missed it. Newsflash: Beirut has a new album for the first time in four years coming out very soon on September 11th from 4AD, which you can preorder here, and based off “No No No” and this new single, “Gibraltar,” we’re in for something special. Whereas that first single was smooth and very jazzy, this new one as you’ll gather from the music video below, is choppy and percussive; Condon’s buttery vocals act as the lush element that strings all the distinctive elements together. Watch some of the band walk around on the beach in white below.
