Beirut’s fourth album “No No No” presents a much simpler sound four years after their 2011 album, “The Rip Tide.” At best, Beirut’s music has a full and dynamic sound, but “No No No,” while generally pretty, never quite pulls the listener in.
Lead singer Zach Condon maintains his distinctive low and operatic voice but also tends to drone in a style reminiscent of Grizzly Bear’s Ed Droste. The band’s previous albums display clear cultural influences with styles from Italy, France, Spain and the American southwest, but here a distinctive sound is a little harder to place.
Front-loaded to a degree with its first two singles, “Gibraltar” and title track “No No No,” the album begins on an intriguing note. The former combines upbeat drums with a staccato piano accompaniment that is echoed by most of the songs on the album, while the latter is reminiscent of one of Beirut’s early songs, “Nantes.” While both are good, they quickly become repetitive and don’t immediately demand a place among the band’s top five songs.
What fails to impress about these songs is a sense of stagnation. Compared to a song like “Nantes,” “Gibraltar” and “No No No” have similarly catchy melodies but lack the movement and layered sound that drives the song. Beginning with a simple keyboard riff, “Nantes” gradually adds vocals, additional pianos, drums, strings and trumpet that create a building effect. The accompaniment briefly drops away during a French interlude before the full sound reappears.
This structure, which is mirrored by many of the band’s best songs like “Elephant Gun,” “Postcards from Italy” and “A Candle’s Fire,” creates a climatic fluctuation. In the context of a full album, songs like “Gibraltar” and “No No No” can be effective, but an epic song driving the album is notably absent. There are no explosions of trumpets like in the song “The Rip Tide” — the instrument just makes a few subtle cameos.
The album tends to transition naturally from song to song, making it easy to miss where one song ends and another begins. Near the middle is a nice instrumenta,l “As Needed,” which resembles the Beach Boys’ “Let’s Go Away For Awhile” from “Pet Sounds,” but unfortunately, “God Only Knows” sits two songs away. Instead of playing a transitional role, “As Needed” bridges two similarly mellow songs. The following song, “Perth,” is decent, but Bon Iver is more successful when talking about Perth.
The album’s final highlight lies in “Fener” which begins with the familiar staccato piano but benefits from a cool tempo shift in the middle, making it one of the few songs not fully encompassed by its first 15 seconds. After the next song, “So Allowed,” the album, clocking in at a brisk 29 minutes, abruptly ends.
There are no bad songs on the album — but there are no exceptional ones either. The album’s mellowness isn’t the problem, but rather its superficiality. It’s worth listening to, especially for those who’ve spent the last four years waiting for new material from the band, but it does not immediately present itself as an indispensible piece of Beirut’s discography.
Read More
Drama department classes offer hands-on experimentation and creation
By Delaney Hammond | YesterdayWhile the University’s department of drama offers many traditional classroom-based courses, several classes take students outside of the classroom setting, giving them a hands-on space to experiment with new media.
A time of bittersweet endings and fresh beginnings for Natalie Blue
By Amelia Preble | 2 days agoWith graduation on the horizon and multiple members planning to move away from Charlottesville, the band is preparing to say their goodbyes.
Liv Quintero is proof that the future of filmmaking is here at U.Va
By Madigan Lounsbery | 5 days agoSince arriving in Charlottesville, the Chesterfield, Va. native has taken the University arts scene by storm both in and out of the classroom.
