I first encountered Beirut midway through a listening session of a good friends of mine’s playlist entitled “When I’m Thinking About The World.” It was the title track of their new album No No No. Immediately I was engulfed in a wave of auditory euphoria. It had everything I wanted in a tune: catchy, yet unique, drums, light chords, and a horn section— a seemingly essential ingredient for a hit in the indie music game. The short and sweet LP is easy on the ears but heavy on the heart.
Zach Condon, the project’s front man, has admitted in numerous interviews that this album is the result of a lot trials and tribulations. Having went through marital and mental troubles, Condon retreated to a simple sound of Full-bodied piano chords paired with quiet vocals. Its low budget style must have made it easy to record as the band was in and out of the studio quickly.
Lyrically, the album is quite spacey, yet it played to my emotion side with ease. I really enjoy the lack of hook-based songs. On my first listen, Condon really kept me guessing on the direction the tracks were taking. That feeling was epitomized in the albums final track “So Allowed”. It was the lovely bow by which Condon packaged No No No.
Although Condon has been taking flack for a so-called “Bland Album”, I think it was anything but. This album is the end result of an emotional journey. So to the fans who expected another album like “The Rip Tide”, the last album from Beirut, I suggest that you take a look at the man behind the music. This is No No No’s Zach Condon, a man who has been in the pits and is ready for a new day.
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