Zach Condon is an A-student from Albuquerque who bummed around Europe for a few months and came back with a head full of Balkan harmonies just begging for a pop reawakening. With the help of Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeremy Barnes, who lends lovely layers of percussion, they’ve gotten just that. Condon’s melancholic, lazy-tongued crooning owes more than a little to the Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt, as does his ability to turn the oddest mix of melodies into an aural box of chocolates. From a hodgepodge of musical traditions, and without a single traditional pop rhythm, Beirut creates little gems that will stick in your mind as much more than just quaint novelties from faraway locales.
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Oh my gosh, this is great stuff. Almost passed it over, but glad I decided to sample. The first two songs are particularly strong and memorable.
great music. good kid. like how it sounds as if it was recorded in the early forties.
i'm glad he went to europe. mount wroclai (idle days) has been on repeat for some time with me.