Artist: Beirut
Album: Long Island EP
Label: Ba da Bing!
Year: 2006
Reviewed by: Kat aLan
On first hearing the name of this band one conjures up images of terror, bombing, gutted buildings, suffering people. Nothing changed when I read the name of the first track – ‘Elephant Gun’. “Uh oh” said I; strapped on my keyboard seatbelt and braced my ears. Surprise! The track begins with a lilting mandolin-type guitar reminiscent of the intro to Led Zep’s ‘Gallows Pole”, followed by this melodic singing accompanied by -would ya believe it- trumpets as in those Mexican bands you hear in the background while the hero gets the girl and they sit in this little sunset cantina sipping martgueritas. Very melodic with this constant but noninvasive drumbeat (the Babe wanted to know if the Salvation Army had come to town).
The next track has the exciting title ‘My family’s role in the world revolution’ – it’s a short instrumental with a fast military-type drumbeat accompanied by that Mexican trumpet work again, only this time faster, more vibrant, strident even. Makes me wonder if his family was related to Pancho Villa or Che.
Then along comes ‘Scenic World’ which is indeed scenic. More mandolin-like guitar with the compulsory trumpet and this time violins as well. Very short – it’s over just as you were getting into it.
Then along comes ‘Long Island Sound’, which starts with what could be an accordion followed by the obligatory trumpet, but also with that oompah kind of fairground sound. This EP could be the soundtrack to one of those arty movies you never see in the cinema, either in black and white or vibrant color mostly red.
And then would you believe it – the next track is called ‘carousels’. Only this song doesn’t have the oompah beat of the previous track – maybe he got the names mixed up. Another moving, tuneful tune with that smooth soulful harmonious voice of his (no, no- not in a jazzy way I’ll have you know; perish the thought) and, of course, that trumpet.
An all in all enjoyable little
piece of work, albeit too short. But then again it is an EP. Although
the tracks themselves are rather short.
Artist: Beirut
Album: Gulag Orkestar
Label: Ba Da Bing!
Year: 2006
Reviewed by: Kat aLan
So! Now I come face to face with a whole album. Same tuneful melodies, same mournful yet melodic voice of Zack Condon – he sound a bit like David Byrne at times. His brother claims he sounds like a widow when he sings, Condon delights in the fact that he had mastered the feeling he was trying to lay on top of the already melancholy music of the band. Some of the tracks are almost funereal, same infernal Mexican trumpet! Still the soundtrack to that same movie, only this time the hero has been killed (probably by a bull) and the heartbroken heroine is leading the procession of mourners following the flower encrusted coffin down the long, dusty main street of the pueblo.
One thing that confuses the spit
out of me is the titles of the songs; although everything sounds so
Mexican, there are titles like ‘Prenzlauerberg’, ‘Brandenburg’,
‘Postcards from Italy’, ‘Rhineland’, ‘The Bunker’, ‘After
the Curtain’, ‘Bratislava’. Maybe I am sorely mistaken about the
Mexican feel; maybe this is what Eastern European music sounds like;
this would explain the occasional fairground-Oompah sound; maybe this
artist is a fan of Django movies. For instance the track ‘Bratislava’
– I can just see the arena, the matadors and the toreadors the dust
and the hapless bull.
As I mentioned before, not unpleasant music, wholly listenable, but I find it a bit samey. Just how much Of ‘The Lonely Bull’ can you listen to?
All in all nice background music to sit in your car watching the sunset while drinking tequila-based sundowners. Nuff said.
