ALBUM: Beirut "Gulag Orkestar" (2006)
Gulag Orkestar - this is what happens, when a straight-A student drops out from school to travel and party across Europe without a worry in his mind.Heaven Monkey has asked me many times, what is this Beirut, what I have been listening to. To be honest, I had almost no idea. Only thing I knew was, that it sounded great and I wanted more. So, I did a little research and this is what I found out.
Beirut aka Zach Condon, only just 20 years old, got the inspiration from Balkan gypsy music and Eastern Europe itself. Gulag Orkestar is mostly the work of a one man. Recently he got a backing band with horns, violins, cellos, ukuleles, mandolins, glockenspiels, drums, tambourines, congas, organs, pianos, clarinets and accordions, so the concert should be a great sight.
As a monkey, who mainly concentrates on the sound, I can't say I have payed attention to the lyrics (the sound of a human voice is mostly just another instrument for my ears, but at the same time I'm not such a great fan of instrumental music), about which Pitchforks' review is a bit critical, but Condons deep impressive voice sounds very credible indeed. Like an old man from somewhere Eastern Europe telling his incredible and a bit sad life story.
Well, whatever, listen to it yourself:
Beirut - Postcards from Italy
Beirut - Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)
Beirut - Interior of a Dutch house
Beirut's official homepage
Beirut at myspace.com
i like them. although i usually pay attention to lyrics, i didn't do it this time, but it sure sounded great anyway. i wish i could see them live, but the nearest concert will be in moscow and that'd be too complicated to get there:(