Beirut have a gift. Within their own distinct sound they capture the music of the world. ‘Nantes’ has us shaking our hips and doing salsa moves, ‘Elephant Gun’ has us reminiscing about Serge Gainsbourg and imagining ourselves dancing slow and close in Paris, and listening to ‘Postcards from Italy’, it feels as if a mariachi band has entered the building and has you stomping your feet in time. Amongst all of this, Zach Condon’s gorgeous soulful, but lilting, voice guides us on stories of life, love and friendship.
At their essence Beirut play indie pop music, but the truth is they play so much more and have re-engaged with the idea of world music in a genuinely exciting way, opening it up to new audiences and new possibilities. In fact, in Brazil there is a music movement called ‘Beirutando’ where Brazilian musicians get together to play Beirut’s songs, but they add a Brazilian beat and styling to the sound!
This week they grace Brisbane with their beautiful music presence and play the Hi Fi. I don’t want to build your expectations too much, but apparently on top of being glorious musicians generally, they are even better live!