Beirut – “The Rip Tide” (Pompeii Records)

3.8 out of 5

In the realm of Western Indie pop, traditional Balkan and Eastern European music is hard to come by. Throw in a touch of French and Mexican balladry for good measure, and you’ve essentially narrowed the field to 25 year-old, New Mexico native, Zach Condon; better known as the songwriter behind Beirut. If you’re thinking that that’s a lot of musical baggage for one band to have to carry around, you’d be right. After taking over four years to follow-up Beirut’s excellent sophomore release, The Flying Club Cup, it would appear as if the band has decided to scale things back a tad.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Condon conceded that he’s trying to be less of a “dilettante” with instruments and that for The Rip Tide he wanted to bring a greater sense of focus to the record, sticking primarily to piano, ukulele and trumpet. True to his word, The Rip Tide is Beirut’s leanest record to date, shedding much of the meandering, avant-garde elements of his prior LP’s and EP’s for something much more pop oriented. Whether or not that’s a good thing will largely depend on the aspects of Beirut’s catalogue you’re most fond of. Opening track “A Candle’s Fire” is a fantastic blend of brass and ukulele and suggests business as usual for Beirut, as does excellent first single “East Harlem”. Things shift gears however on “Sante Fe”. Utilizing what sounds like the $5 drum machine used in “Scenic World” from Beirut’s debut LP, the attempted shift in sound feels forced and acts as more of a distraction than anything else. The same can be said for the title track, where the drum machine compromises an otherwise gorgeous string and brass melody. For a band with an army of musicians at its disposal, it seems an odd choice to compromise such brilliant, rich instrumentation with something so cheap and tinny sounding.

There are clear indications however that Condon’s songwriting chops have flourished since The Flying Club Cup. Condon has stated in interviews that he struggled with writing lyrics for The Rip Tide, and that the works of E.E. Cummings have been a great source of inspiration (apparently he finds Cummings’ written rhythm “very singable”). Whether or not E.E. Cummings is singularly responsible, the influence has certainly strengthened Condon’s lyricism. If there were any doubt that aside from the excellent musicians Condon surrounds himself with, that Condon himself is an immense songwriting talent, standout tracks “Goshen” and “The Peacock” should put such suspicions to rest. Both songs are stunningly beautiful ballads that start with nothing beyond Condon’s signature baritone (which still sounds at least a decade beyond his 25 years), and piano/organ, before gradually introducing further accompaniment. The former plays like a lullaby, while the latter plays like a lament: “Calls and sings, Berlin, Berlin. Among the camp, we’re done with him. We’d shoot him down, but then, but then. Where should I, begin, begin? He’s the only one who knows the words.”

At nine tracks and 33 minutes The Rip Tide is a slim, streamlined affair, yet I can’t help but feel something has been lost in the process. While this is easily the leanest, and most pop oriented collection of tunes Condon has composed, and will undoubtedly introduce him to a broader fan base, it has been at the expense of the more rustic, scattershot aspects of Beirut’s repertoire. There are few moments of instrumental madness such as The Flying Club Cup’s “In The Mausoleum” or Gulag Orkestar’s “Bratislava” to be found here. And though I would happily recommend The Rip Tide to those unfamiliar with Beirut’s work, hardened fans may find the makeover somewhat disappointing.

Note – Though The Rip Tide was released digitally August 2nd (you can buy a digital download here), the record is not available physically until August 30th.

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