Zach Condon's music as Beirut inhabits the same fantastical territory of other fringe indie-pop acts such as Bright Eyes, Patrick Wolf or Final Fantasy, characterized by earnest songwriting and a penchant for odd, often elaborate arrangements. Bright Eyes tends to be a little more spastic and dramatic (not to mention more rock, at times even moving into alt-country twang) while the latter two have their own spins on chamber music arrangements. The FF correlation in this instance is hardly inappropriate, as Owen Pallett is responsible for many of the lush arrangements to be found on The Flying Club Cup (in addition to playing and singing). But whereas Patrick Wolf seems to have his ear to the ground in terms of what's happening in new pop and electronic music, Condon seems utterly unconcerned, and harks further back in time with arrangements that are just as informed by the music of now with the sounds of ages long past.
Condon's voice carries most of the songs with a light, lovely sound that can sometimes be affected by a heavy vibrato -- however, this doesn't get in the way of the songs or the stories he tells. Most notable are the instrumental arrangements, which combine a wide array of instruments and styles. The cornerstones of the album are to be found in the generous use of accordion, militaristic snares, trumpet, piano and strings, more often than not set to a 3/4 waltz time signature. And whether a song is more understated like "Un Dernier Verre" or more elaborate like "Cherbourg" or the Pallett-fronted "Cliquot," Condon and his troupe bring the drama, often with what could be considered a 19th century vantage point, equally conjuring up mental associations with the French Riviera or the American Civil War. It is important for me to stress that from my own personal point of view, these are likely cliches that I bring to the experience, as I have no thorough knowledge of the music of this time period. Condon's own fascination with the music of olde is both what makes Beirut's sound unique in 2008 but also what runs the risk of trivializing it, making it seem more of a novelty at times. Fortunately, Condon's knack for a good song generally trumps any of the colonialism of his history-mining; as a result, The Flying Club Cup succeeds not only in the face of its own fascinations but also because of them.
With The Flying Club Cup, Beirut's music snugly sits just in between appropriation, musical theater, and clever singer-songwriter earnestness, balancing each of these loose categories with what appears to be relative ease. Because of that, I can't emphasize enough just how much I enjoy this album. It's sweet, dramatic, fun, tender and lovely, all at once.
mp3s: Cliquot | In The Mausoleum
more information: Official site | Myspace | Ba Da Bing Records | 4AD
buy it: Bent Crayon | Boomkat | Amazon | Emusic | iTunes
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