Beirut: The Rip Tide Album Review

Back in 2006 Zach Condon, ( under the monkier Beirut) released the band's first full length album "Gulag Orkestar." An album that came as a surprise to many western listeners, especially in the world of Indie music. But why? Well, to start, Zach was not playing your average pop music; instead he opted to bring the sounds of Balkan brass into the otherwise jangle-filled apathy-ridden indie scene. And with songs like "Postcards from Italy" and "Rhineland (Heartland)", it was hard to dislike.

Now it's 2012, and Beirut is on their 3rd full length release, "The Rip Tide." An album that signals a rather interesting change for the band. One, the horns found on their previous two albums have been toned down dramatically; replaced with bouncy synths, and more piano than the last two albums. Two, Zach's weary, mournful vocals have become more of focal point.

While some fans may see this as Beirut simplifying their sound, ( and to an extent they are) I see it more as the band pursuing their pop sensibilities. And  the end result is an album full of more memorable songs, from the opener "A Candle's Fire" to the closer "Port of Call" there's not one bad song on this LP.

The first two tracks both feature rich horn swells, and the track "Sante Fe" even has a nice little opener featuring the afore-mentioned synthesizer, giving the track a very upbeat quality. The next track "East Harlem" slows things down a bit with Zach on the pump organ while he sings the line "another rose wilts in east harlem" as he describes the rigors of a long-distance relationship. His lyrics on this album are more upfront then they were on "Gulag" or "Flying Cup Club" and while they aren't always poetry, it's nice to see more confidence from Zach. 

Other highlights are the tracks "Vegabond" with it's bright piano chords and warm horns. And the track "Port  of Call" is the perfect closer, evoking feelings from the bands first album. Especially with the energetic ukulele strumming and Zach's signature croon.

Overall, I feel like Beirut has done something really special here. Sure, it's not as richly detailed as their other two albums. But that's just fine with me, because they've managed to put together what is, to me, their most immediate and catchy album yet. 

8.5/10