The lead single and album name for the new Beirut recording is resolutely negative. A cursory listen to the music suggests bandleader Zach Condon is saying a wary ‘no’ to incorporating too many elements into the mix.
Beirut’s fourth studio album follows a period of creative and mental exhaustion, not to mention a divorce. Though, the result isn’t particularly desolate, nor does it wallow in lyrical sadness – the most explicit reference to Condon’s downward spiral is the actually rather perky Perth. Instead, the band applies a simplified, stocktaking approach to their sound. The instrumentation is slight, at times even skeletal, and there are some interesting, though sometimes awkward, spaces in between the sounds. The Balkan horns, once considered a core part of Beirut’s music, make the occasional appearance.
This new approach makes for a focused but slight nine-track album. The bold, clean lines initially hold attention, but you’re left feeling a little short-changed in the long run. It’s a brave stripping back, but after kicking off with its two biggest charmers (Gibraltar and the title track), the album is dominated by half-cooked compositions.
No No No sounds like a placeholder in the Beirut catalogue, a transitional point that will hopefully lead to somewhere more positive and affirmative for Condon.
BY CHRIS GIRDLER
