There was no hint of the personal crisis that enveloped Zach Condon's life in the void since the release of The Rip Tide: this was a night of celebration and triumph over adversity. He's not known for chatter, and seemed almost embarrassed when the Manchester crowd sang Happy Birthday to him, but it's clear that the band found this music as therapeutically uplifting as the audience. I was slightly apprehensive at the start: Beirut's fifth album No No No, released last September, hasn't gained universal critical acclaim. Pitchfork described at as sounding like 'a collection of exposed scaffoldings', 'more a story of survival than a short at reinvention'. Unlike its predecessor, it didn't make my end of year list either: less than half a hour in length, it feels insubstantial, though I find more evidence of development than others. It was written for a trio, the sound emphasising drums, bass and piano, further paring back the simplified sound first sign posted in The Rip Tide.
Live, though, this was far from a minimalist presentation: Scenic World, from their first album, was announced with brass blaring thrilling from the side balconies of the Albert Hall. This beautiful venue added grandeur to the visuals and sound, and the set list was equally expansive. It mattered little that their latest studio work is slightly underwhelming when they have such a rich back catalogue to draw upon. Indeed, No No No aided the structure: its continuity with the The Rip Tide gave a sense of balance with the earlier work which emphasises instrumentals. Rather like Milky Chance, the two most recent records put rhythm to the fore, encouraging an enthusiastic audience to move around. It was, however, that brass that gained the loudest cheers. Zach plays a flugelhorn, out of a sense of necessity after a hand injury precluded the guitar. He also switched between a Moog synthesiser and ukulele, a more recent addition, but the most thrilling moments came from the virtuoso three part harmony, when he was flanked by Ben Lanz on trombone and Kyle Resnick on trumpet.
By contrast, support act D.D. Dumbo played solo, gradually building up layers and sound as he multi tracked each song. These loops were cleverly constructed, but I missed the flexibility to respond to others that's gained from a band. Just as Beirut's music doesn't sound typical of New Mexico, so Oliver Perry is a long way from Australian pop, drawing on North African blues. This was an intelligent piece of programming. Zach travelled extensively in Eastern Europe listening to Balkan folk, bringing gypsy music, Mexican folk and French Chanson to indie folk rock. If his recent work draws less from world music, and more from American pop, its horizons remain cosmopolitan. Fener's title, for example, refers to a neighbourhood in Turkey where Zach spent time with a recent love.
The four year hiatus between albums seems to have reinvigorated this project's live presence, even if No No No is a transitional work. Zach was hospitalised touring The Rip Tide in Australia, and went through a divorce. Yet now, the band feels more unbuttoned and joyous than the last time I saw them in Manchester in 2011, even relaxed. There's still tight ensemble playing from the long time collaborators, but perhaps surprisingly given that the instrumentals are so unique, the key for my own emotional connection is Zach's voice. He sings with a beautifully organic, gentle tone, floating above the band. This talent is exploited most clearly in The Rip Tide. It's no coincidence that my highlights of this wonderful evening came from this album: particularly Santa Fe and the moving title song, which I associate with a particularly meaningful and happy place. Its cultural roots are deep, even if they're eclectic and geographically distant from their creators.
Set List
Scenic World
Elephant Gun
East Harlem
As Needed
Perth
Santa Fe
August Holland
No No No
Postcards
The Riptide
The Shrew
Prostitute
Fener
After The Curtain
Cocek
Nantes
So Allowed
Encore
Pachelo
Gulag
In the Mausoleum
The Flying Club Cup
No comments:
Post a Comment