Beirut - Lon Gisland EP

Beirut
Lon Gisland EP
(2007, Ba Da Bing!)
10.0/10

I shouldn't be reviewing two of the most amazing albums of the year thus far back to back- two tens in a row is going to make me look like a softy, but I'm not. It takes quite a lot to musically please me, and I'm not lying when I tell you- Lon Gisland is amazing. Lon Gisland is the EP follow-up to the 2006 Beirut release, Gulag Orkestar, which is incredible in itself. It consists of five gorgeous songs from prodigy Zach Condon, a teen from New Mexico, that just happens to be making the most heart-breaking Eastern European style gypsy folk around. The rich sound of world music is captured almost single handedly with Condon writing and recording accordian, saxaphone, clarinet, keyboards, madolin, ukulele, horns, glockenspiel, and percussion laregly on his own. His good friends, and fellow whimsical folk musicians, A Hawk And A Hacksaw, helped Condon record his first album, after which he moved to Brooklyn and formed a band to help him in playing live shows and for future recording. His music is filled with exotic instrumentations and absolutely gorgeous vocals. When I listen to his voice I am baffled by how young he is. These are some of the most beautiful songs in my music collection. Even though it is an EP with only five songs, two of which are re-recordings from Gulag Orkestar, it is still worth the purchase. The repeated songs are equally amazing on both albums even though they are very different. This is one band that I would travel far distances to see. Oh, and Beirut just released a video for Elephant Gun which is the first track off of this EP. The video is almost as gorgeous as the song, but not quite. I really like his fake moustache in it though

-Sassy Grass