BEIRUT – THE RIP TIDE
The third album from Beirut sees the American indie-pop band continuing to incorporate Eastern European and Balkan folk music influences into their work. Their list of instrumental personnel makes them sound like a gypsy street band – accordion, trumpet and ukulele take centre stage, with various other brass instruments providing the brute force usually supplied by guitars. Although the compositions are fundamentally pop songs, the basic chords and brassy interjections give Beirut’s music a simple other-wordly effectiveness. Songs such as the accordion-driven A Candle’s Fire and the bittersweet Goshen are memorable not just for their melodic hooks but also for the rich, vibrant textures which such a combination of instruments produces. Passing fans of old-timey Dixieland jazz will find much to love in the Salvation-army-band pomp of Payne’s Bay, and singer Zach Condon’s smooth pipes give each track an emotive warmth and tenderness. Although the premise of straightforward pop songs may become tedious for some, the sheer world of instrumental colour and variety should make listening to The Rip Tide a joy rather than a chore. Long-time fans also might argue that the album doesn’t offer anything drastically different from their previous work. But similar though it may be, Beirut offers a musical and sensory experience which is entirely their own. A unique sound and deft songwriting skills can go a long way, I say.
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