Beirut, the project of Albuquerque's multi-instrumentalist Zach Condon, debuted with
the guitar-less Gulag Orkestar (BaDaBing, 2006).
The baroque arrangements
(trumpet, ukelele, accordion, violin, mandolin, keyboards, percussions)
and memorable melodies of his songs evoked visions of
Magnetic Fields and
Rufus Wainwright gone populists,
but also of bizarre
underground acts oriented towards marching-bands and street music
such as Lol Coxhill's Welfare State.
Unique to Beirut, though, was the influence of Balkan folk music
(of the kind that shows up in Kusturica's films)
and a somber, melancholy mood.
The theme song Gulag Orkestar is typical of how the layers of instruments
(dominated by the horns' fanfare) submerge and obfuscate the vocals.
The "orchestral" clangor of Brandenburg, Bratislava and
Rhineland literally obliterates the words.
These songs attain a state of mournful suspension through repetition of simple
vocal melodies that are not meant to deliver a story but simply contribute to
the overall arrangement.
Other songs rely more on captivating rhythms: the waltzing Prenzlauerberg, that also boasts lilting singalong crooning and a catchy horn melody,
Scenic World even toys with a programmed beat.
Beirut's ethnic accents are not only Slavic. Postcards From Italy
actually mixes a tinkling ukulele, an operatic aria and Spanish-tinged horns.
The vocal harmonies of The Bunker belong to an imaginary land.
Bratislava has a rhythmic undercurrent that sounds more African than
European.
Relocated to France, Zach Condon transformed himself into a melancholy crooner
for The Flying Club Cup (Ba Da Bing, 2007).
The typical song referenced a nostalgic ambience of ordinary lives in old environments,
a universe of resigned ancestral emotions recycled via a blatant appropriation
of the stereotyped semiotic signs of accordion, ukulele, violin, piano,
harpsichord, flugelhorn, etc.
The martial and nostalgic, Spanish-tinged Nantes,
the polka singalong A Sunday Smile,
the majestic fanfare of La Banlieu
the waltzing and mournful In The Mausoleum,
the operatic piano-based Cherbourg,
as well as the petulant instrumental Cliquot,
sound like postcards from a distant place and a distant time.
Zach Condon's melodic gift is impressive. His arrangement skills are perhaps
even more impressive.
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(Translation by/ Tradotto da Luca Criscuoli)
Beirut, il progetto del multistrumentista di Albuquerque Zach Condon, ha debuttato con l’album senza chitarre Gulag Orkestar (BaDaBing, 2006). Gli arrangiamenti barocchi (tromba, ukulele, fisarmonica, violino, mandolino, tastiere, percussioni) e le memorabili melodie delle sue canzoni evocano ricordi di Magnetic Fields, Sufjan Stevens and Rufus Wainwright. La qualità "orchestrale" di Bandenburg, The Bunker e specialmente Postcards From Italy è moderata dai sapori esotici di Prenzlauerberg, Rhineland e Bratislava (influenzate soprattutto dalla musica folk Balcanica e Gitana). L’elettronica After The Curtain e Scenic World chiudono l’album con una vena lievemente futuristica e decadente.
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