Performer Notes

Zach Condon's third outing under the Beirut moniker shakes the compass and tosses it into the dirt, kicking up a typically eclectic cloud of orchestral indie pop that allows all of his influences (Balkan, French chanson, alternative rock, and European and Mexican folk) a chance to throw down. Opening with the familiar sound of a four-chord round stacked with accordion, brass, and ukulele, "A Candle's on Fire," which features harmonies from fellow Brooklyn-ite Sharon Van Etten, sets the tone for what may end up being Condon's most personal and least fussy set of tunes to date, despite the habitual, ornate instrumentation. Condon spends much of Rip Tide writing in first person, and it lends an air of much needed intimacy to the always gorgeous, yet historically elusive Beirut sound. Bolstered by a pair of instantly likeable singles in "East Harlem" and the spirited and animated, road trip-ready "Santa Fe," the latter of which pays homage to the singer's southwestern hometown, and peppered with sparse, warm ballads and a title track that swaps the usual, Condon-esque image of a cobblestone-lined, Eastern European village for a post-siesta cocktail at a beachfront Mediterranean cafe, Rip Tide, like the band's previous two releases, feels like a postcard from another era, only this time around, it's signed and dated. ~ James Christopher Monger

Professional Reviews

Spin (p.78) - "Condon makes sonic souvenirs from the Balkans and Mexico sound like extensions of his own introspection."

Alternative Press (p.110) - "Condon has come up with a sweeping version of orchestral folk-pop that's entirely of his own making."

CMJ - "[T]he songs intricacies are constructed around simple, bare melodies built from scratch and embellished with the sounds he loves..."

Q (Magazine) (p.108) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Streamlined and comparatively buffed as it is...THE RIP TIDE retains their wholly intimate, altogether human sound..."

Mojo (Publisher) (p.96) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]here is something satisfying about its sense of cohesion. For a record about a lonely planet, it makes all the right connections."

Record Collector (magazine) (p.89) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[A] collection of sumptuously arranged, beautifully played songs that have been assimilated and manifested themselves as something glorious and particular to Condon himself."

Uncut (magazine) (p.83) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "THE RIPTIDE glides by satisfyingly, It's the sound of a songwriter finally getting comfortable in their own skin, and marks a necessary and welcome evolution of Beirut from bedroom fantasy to real-world concern."

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Album: The Rip Tide
#	Song Title		Time
1)	A Candle's Fire	More Info...	0:03
2)	Santa Fe	More Info...	0:04
3)	East Harlem	More Info...	0:04
4)	Goshen	More Info...	0:03
5)	Payne's Bay	More Info...	0:03
6)	The Rip Tide	More Info...	0:04
7)	Vagabond	More Info...	0:03
8)	The Peacock	More Info...	0:02
9)	Port of Call	More Info...	0:04

Album: The Rip Tide
#	Song Title		Time
1)	A Candle's Fire	More Info...	0:03
2)	Santa Fe	More Info...	0:04
3)	East Harlem	More Info...	0:04
4)	Goshen	More Info...	0:03
5)	Payne's Bay	More Info...	0:03
6)	The Rip Tide	More Info...	0:04
7)	Vagabond	More Info...	0:03
8)	The Peacock	More Info...	0:02
9)	Port of Call	More Info...	0:04