Beirut
albums
Jeremy Barnes - Accordian, Violins
Heather Toast - Percussion
Best Album: Gulag Orkestar
Biggest Influences: Camper van Beethoven, Magnetic Fields, Neutral Milk Hotel
2006
Gulag Orkestar - 7/8
Beirut is Zach Condon, a 19 year old guy who seems to love the Middle East. He named his band Beirut (the
capital city of war-torn Lebanon) and every song on here sounds like it could come from that area around Israel,
Syria and Saudi Arabia. The thing is, this is just some talented kid from New Mexico who has created his own kind
of sound mesh. Many bands in the past have done this kind of thing, the fake bayou of CCR and the polka-ska of
Camper van Beethoven to name a couple. Condon's Middle East obsession serves him well of songs like
"Prenzlauberg" and "Postcards from Italy", highlights of a consistent album. Really, most songs just sound like
variations of the one before, but the guy keeps it interesting all the way through, the instrumental talents of
Jeremy Barnes (who worked with Neutral Milk Hotel) no doubt help this. The sounds changes dramatically on
"Scenic World", a pop ditty which could be a lost track from Magnetic Fields' Holiday or Charm of the Highway
Strip. The record is not perfect or anything, it slips up on "The Canals of Our City" and a few other merely good
tracks here and there. Still, the greatness shines through and promises a challenging artist who is capable of
creating his own "world" on albums at the age of 19! Let's hope he stays around for a while. - Trevor e.y.
1.the gulag orkestar- 4
2.prenzlauerberg- 4
3.brandenburg- 3
4.postcards form italy- 4
5.mount wroclai- 4
6.rheinland- 3
7.scenic world- 4
8.bratislava- 4
9.the bunker- 3
10.the canals of our city- 2
11.after the curtain- 3
 |  |  |  |  |
