Audio Quality: 3/5
Song Quality: 3/5
Packaging: 2.5/5
This is the first record I'll be reviewing that I don't actually own... a friend of mine loaned it to me and begged me to give it a chance. He loves Beirut and I'm not really a fan. I downloaded The Flying Cup Club when that came out, and found it pretty dull, but that was all I had heard. He found this unacceptable and told me to give this record a serious listen. And I did, because I can't stand it when I don't like something that someone I know and respect loves. It makes me feel like I'm missing something... like everyone's laughing at a joke but I didn't understand the punchline. I want to laugh too, dammit.
I admit that part of me not liking Zach Condon aka Beirut's musical output had to do with a preconceived notion that it would be hip and pretentious. This has to do with fan base, which is primarily
hip and pretentious. These are the same people who told me I'd love Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Peter Bjorn & John. I didn't love those things... I assumed I wouldn't love this. But I cast those notions aside while listening to this record, truly wanting to like it and hoping that it could be something new to really sink my teeth into (I've been primarily listening to older records lately... nothing recent has really grabbed me). As it turns out, my original Spidey-Sense™ was pretty right on. How about that?Let me start off with what I like about this record, because there are a couple tracks that are really excellent. "Postcards From Italy" is great, and according to iTunes it's also the most popular track on the record, so there you go. The electronic "Scenic World," is very fun and a nice change of pace from the rest of the record. And the last song, "After the Curtain," is also a really nice track to round out the record. And, though it's not on this record, I think that this live performance is one of the greatest things I've ever seen. I really do think that Beirut is more than capable of writing great songs. The problem is that at times it all seems a bit too repetitve and predictable. The few songs I mentioned really enjoying here were because they had production features distinctive from their peers. I think that there's a lot of potential for growth in Zach Condon's songwriting, and he's certainly a tremendously talented multi-instrumentalist, but as of now, the Eastern European 3/4 style production that overwhelms most of his tracks serves as more of a gimmick and a crutch than an appropriate aid to his songs. It's a unique aesthetic, but even by the end of the album, it begins to sound stale.
The sound isn't great, unfortunately. In fact, I think I might have found much more to love in this record if the sound was better. I understand that he recorded almost the entire album at home in his bedroom, so that certainly could explain a sub-par recording quality. For a record with such grand, orchestral arrangements, it's unfortunate that the sound quality is unable to match it. It has a very narrow stereo image, and it almost sounds like all the instruments are bottlenecking as they come out of the speakers, competing with each other for your attention. Really a shame, because I'd love to hear this album given a really delicate treatment where all the instruments are spread out across the sonic spectrum and allowed to breathe properly. As it stands, this is a vinyl that I really can't recommend based on sound quality. Beirut fans will probably want it anyway, and that's very reasonable. It doesn't sound terrible or distort the way that Fall Out Boy LP does... it just doesn't doesn't have the sort of warmth and depth that this record deserves.
Packaging is also very minimal. This is becoming a reoccurring complaint, huh? The LP is in a generic white paper sleeve within the slipcase package. That's it. It's also 150-gram vinyl rather than 180, which, like the Beck vinyl, doesn't noticeably affect sound quality, but does make the record feel noticeably flimsy. Artwork on the back is pretty non-existent too, but the minimalist presentation of the record is definitely in tune with the listening experience so I guess it makes sense.
I'm gonna give this record some more time before I completely dismiss it. Like I said early on, I really do want to like Beirut's music. So far, it's very hit-or-miss for me... but I'll definitely take the time to continue checking out Zach Condon's output, because I think he'll only get better over time.
Buy the LP from InSound.com
Find the LP on eBay.com
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