Beirut (band)

[Satchmo Distel]

I heard their latest single on Radmac on Saturday and really liked it, but I know nothing about the group. It seems to use folk elements with a very esoteric vocal (a bit like early Arcade Fire, maybe?). Where should I start and what should I avoid, if anything?

[ToneLa]

Gulag Orkestar is worth a look.

I eventually tired of them though so other opinions necessary!

[Pingers]

Gulag Orkestar is a great place to start. Then also check out A Hawk and A Hacksaw

[Ferris]

The Flying Club Cup and the Gulag Orkestar are both worth seeking out.

They're good in short bursts. I have friends who really like them, but they drive me a bit bonkers after that with how samey they are. 4 chords on a ukulele (repeat throughout), brass swells on 2nd verse, continue through the rest with the horn crescendo on the choruses. References to 2nd tier European cities at least once per song.Throw in a toy piano every so often to mix it up.

The singles are great, but a whole album is a bit much for me.

[non capisco]

I also really like 'The Rip Tide', which I suppose is their "Beirut go pop" album. The title track is a heart swelling, tear duct attacking great big fucking swoon of a thing. The closer 'Port Of Call' is also utterly lovely. I really love the sound of that whole album, the songs are more varied and contained than you usually get with them. Sadly, the follow up a few years later 'No, No, No' was utter nothingness. I don't know the story behind that album but it sounds like someone writing songs out of an obligation. So poor I haven't even bothered investigating the new one yet.

I should also point out they're one of the most boring live bands I've ever seen. None of the dynamic intensities of their albums came over the night I saw them, it was a load of weary looking blokes standing around parping like they were trying to entertain themsleves while queing for bread in the snow. You couldn't even have called it perfunctory.

[Satchmo Distel]

The Flying Club Cup and the Gulag Orkestar are both worth seeking out.

They're good in short bursts. I have friends who really like them, but they drive me a bit bonkers after that with how samey they are. 4 chords on a ukulele (repeat throughout), brass swells on 2nd verse, continue through the rest with the horn crescendo on the choruses. References to 2nd tier European cities at least once per song.Throw in a toy piano every so often to mix it up.

The singles are great, but a whole album is a bit much for me.

Yes, I think this is my main problem with them: milking a formula

[Cuellar]

Yeah, I liked Flying Club Cup back in the day. Haven't listened to them for ages mind, I think the songs evoke too strongly a period of life at uni and the nostalgia is too great. Wasn't an unhappy time, necessarily, but you know.

The first time I listened to In the Aeroplane Over The Sea a year or two ago, Beirut sort of clicked. I thought "Ahhh, that's where they got it!"

[Icehaven]

Both the song Vagabond and the video for it are great, and they had one other song I liked about 10 years ago but I can't remember what it was called, other than that I don't know much about them but I'm not surprised to learn they're formulaic as the 2 songs I know are quite similar. Also doubt I'd make it through a whole album but I'd probably have them in a sizeable shuffle roster.


Here is Vagabond.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2GWDlEU1A4

[Bazooka]

I'm a bit ignorant of the band these days, back in 2007 or whenever I was listening, every song sounded the same, did that change?

[ToneLa]

I'm a bit ignorant of the band these days, back in 2007 or whenever I was listening, every song sounded the same, did that change?

Nope. Negatory. Nuh-uh.

[Wentworth Smith]

I also really like 'The Rip Tide', which I suppose is their "Beirut go pop" album. The title track is a heart swelling, tear duct attacking great big fucking swoon of a thing. The closer 'Port Of Call' is also utterly lovely. I really love the sound of that whole album, the songs are more varied and contained than you usually get with them. Sadly, the follow up a few years later 'No, No, No' was utter nothingness. I don't know the story behind that album but it sounds like someone writing songs out of an obligation. So poor I haven't even bothered investigating the new one yet.

Totally agree with this, The Rip Tide is lovely and No, No, No is just not there at all. I read that they had different material which had been worked on for a few years but couldn't finish it, scrapped it and tossed off No, No, No.

[Satchmo Distel]

'A Candle's Fire' seems to borrow from 'Have You Ever Seen The Rain' by Creedence Clearwater Revival so maybe CCR/Fogerty are an influence?

Alt-J struck me a similar world/folk/indie blend, but again maybe annoyingly repetitive of the verbal quirks.

[Satchmo Distel]

The Flying Club Cup and the Gulag Orkestar are both worth seeking out.

They're good in short bursts. I have friends who really like them, but they drive me a bit bonkers after that with how samey they are. 4 chords on a ukulele (repeat throughout), brass swells on 2nd verse, continue through the rest with the horn crescendo on the choruses. References to 2nd tier European cities at least once per song.Throw in a toy piano every so often to mix it up.

The singles are great, but a whole album is a bit much for me.

I think the new album departs from that formula somewhat because it is built around the Farsifa organ. Sometimes sounds like a Beach Boys circa 1967 feel.