Beirut’s sophomore album takes the songwriting, performing and arranging talent of Zach Condon’s debut, Gulag Orkestra, and strengthens them all into the first truly great album of his very young career. With a full band helping him on the road and now in the studio, Condon’s toned down his singing and playing, pulled back on some of the more overtly Old World styles he references and found that a professional recording can add needed subtlety to a wall of sound. Gone are the Eastern European influences that directed the debut – which are replaced by an orchestral folk sound that’s now finding direction with melodramatic French pop classics, from the likes of Francois Hardy and Jacques Brel. In doing so, he’s really allowing the songs to dictate what the final sound is; standouts like “A Sunday Smile” and the title track each have a sense of drama, but allow the music to flow naturally with layers of instruments coming in waves, accenting the songs perfectly. Still, Condon’s baritone warble can get to be too much over the course of the album, something driven home by “Cliquot,” a song sung by Final Fantasy’s Owen Pallet that is easily the best track here.
Spring Break
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