LimeWire Music Blog

Globetrotting phenom Zach Condon’s latest release as Beirut is nearly as confounding as it is enjoyable. Taking a double-EP format that seems to reflect a bit of a split personality about Condon, these are two vastly different collections of songs allied on a single two-sided album. It is unclear at press time which, if either, of the two aesthetics presented here will be reflected on the forthcoming Beirut full-length, expected out later this year. Either one is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, as audiences worldwide can’t seem to get enough of Condon’s boyish charm and wide-eyed incorporation of world music sounds into his multi-instrumentalist repertoire. Side A, March of the Zapotec, was recorded in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca with the locally famous 19-piece Jimenez Band. Maintaining the alternately funereal and carnivalesque Balkan brass march of the previous Beirut albums, these songs will surely sound familiar to fans of Condon’s other works, only with a little Mexican spice added to taste. The juxtaposition of tracks like the jaunty album standout “The Akara” with the dirge-like “On A Bayonet” shows Condon’s willingness to mix things up a little, even if the songs themselves don’t really say much. Clearly the joy Condon finds in songwriting lies in the crafting and grafting of melodies and rhythms, rather than any focus on lyrical depth; but as long as his mélange of horns and tubas keep soaring, the music will never cease to entertain.

Side B, Holland, was recorded in Condon’s Brooklyn apartment, under the pseudonym Realpeople. These five tracks introduce the listener to Condon’s fascination with bright, swooning bedroom electronica, à la Neon Neon and Deastro. The tracks “My Night With The Prostitute In Marseille” and “Venice” have been floating around the Internet for a while, but they still sound delightfully fresh, especially in contrast with the sunburned languor of the album’s first half. Condon’s crooning can now take center stage, the wall of brass having fallen in favor of more understated synth-and-drum-machine arrangements. And it works to great effect: the soft, atmospheric “Venice” is perhaps the best track on either EP. Meanwhile, album closer “No Dice” is a sly nod to Euro dance-pop, with its shuffling, four-on-the-floor beat and shimmery synthesizer melodies, which — in spite of their novelty — are still recognizably Beirut-ish. Whether or not this album is a taste of (eclectic) things to come from Señor Condon, it stands out as a step forward for this endlessly curious young star.

March of the Zapotec & Realpeople: Holland, as well as Beirut’s entire back catalog, are currently available for purchase at the LimeWire Store.