Thus far the Beirut we've grown to know a love is mainly attributed to chief songwriter, Zach Condon. Their previous two albums have been a manifestation of Condon's world travels and penchant for baroque pop. However, in the The Rip Tide the sound is less roaming gipsy, and a bit more Americana. This isn't a bad thing.
In comparison to Beirut's previous work, The Rip Tide does sacrifice some of the band's previous quirkiness. The songs are more Arcade Fire, The Decemberists, and Magnetic Fields friendly, but then again those are all good bands so I'm not complaining. On the other hand, the familiar horns, organ, accordions, snares, and tambourines that we've grown to expect are still there, feeding the Beirut feeling of wandering idly through a simple Europe, which is perfectly embraced in "Port of Call." Like the songwriters for the bands mentioned above, Condon also has a good feel for structure, melody, and penmanship, and the level of those skills on The Rip Tide are those of experienced maturity. "Payne's Bay" and "The Rip Tide" demonstrate the musical mastership on show here particularly well. "Payne's Bay" picks up on the sweetness lingering after "Goshen" and develops it, adding a more celebratory note. So, while this album might be a little less Beirut and a lot more Zack Codon, hopefully the next album will be the perfect halfway point between the two.
By S. Torres
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