Beirut "East Harlem"

Beirut, the indie pop band fronted by Zachary Francis Condon has returned after a few years off. The single “East Harlem” is the bands freshest material since “The Flying Club Cup” album and the “March of the Zapotec/Holland" EP. I have to confess that I own their previous albums and EPs but I probably only listened to them a few times at the most. Their sound, which takes some cues from European Balkan folk, can be difficult to grasp at first. As a result when the band announced the new upcoming album titled “The Rip Tide”, I took it as a opportunity to reintroduce my ears to their music.

The first single from “The Rip Tide” has been released, and it is titled “East Harlem”. The track begins with an accordion playing a very pretty introduction, then that is disrupted by some heavy percussion backed by a sweet sounding acoustic guitar. As the track progresses, some horns are placed in the mix, building up the momentum. The horns are arranged in a way that’s reminds me of the tracks on the Nationals last LP “High Violet”. They are noticeable and bold but they do not overwhelm the song or make it sound too grandiose. There is also a great piano in the background playing some minor keys that anchor the song for the strong finish.

Zachary Condon has a good vocal performance on the track, and the lyrics to the song hold up very well. The song only has two verses, the first one is sang three times and the second one is sung twice. The repeated verses at the beginning have a mournful and sad delivery, almost depressing. But as the last verse comes up, the track lifts up and sounds much more optimistic, injecting some much needed life and energy. I really liked this track and the way that it slowly builds and took its time before reaching the climax.

Song of the day will be Beirut “East Harlem”