Friday, April 2, 2010

An Unparalleled Sound: Beirut


Upon first hearing the band Beirut, I was easily and quickly entranced by their music. Beirut is an indie band that began as the solo project of Zach Condon in 2006. They have since released Gulag Orkestar and The Flying Club Cup as full albums as well as numerous other EP’s. The music fuses together Eastern European music, folk, and Western pop to make up a truly exotic sound. This is because Zach Condon was heavily influenced by his time in Europe especially listening to Balkan folk music which just happened to be popular with the Parisian students.
A lot of the songs have this gypsy-ish sound to it which works perfectly with Zach Condon’s deep and drawn out voice.

By sometimes using as many as 19 instruments, you can see how this band plays the intricate melodies that are seen often in Eastern European folk. One can hear similarities to French and Belgian singers Jacques Brel, Serge Gainsburg, and Yves Montand who Condon says have all been influential. Because of Zondon’s interest in European culture, he often names his albums or uses foreign tongues in his songs. When you listen to “Postcards to Italy” or “Scenic World” you can understand exactly what I am talking about.

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