Beirut: 'The Flying Club Cup'

Only one year has passed since Zach Condon released ‘Gulag Orkestar’ to critical acclaim and his second album, recorded at the Masonic church studio owned by Arcade Fire, falls no less short of breathtaking. Since constructing his debut album in the bedroom of his parents’ New Mexico home, this 21-year-old multi-instrumentalist has quickly become one of the most alluring musicians to date, attaining a legion of fans, and drawing comparisons with Rufus Wainwright and A Hawk and a Hacksaw. Now living in Paris, the city that inspired the creation of 'The Flying Club Cup’, Zach attempts to pay reverence to Parisian fashion, history and music, at the same time immersing himself in the sounds of some of France’s most respected musicians, in particular Francois Hardy and Jacques Brel.

Unlike his previous album, where Balkan brass played strident over Zach’s mesmerising vocals, the accordion takes centre stage throughout ‘The Flying Club Cup’ particularly evident in ‘The Penalty’ and ‘St. Apollonia’ giving the album a distinctly French feel. Other notable moments include the Jamaican-dub-inspired ‘Nantes’ and the oriental-themed ‘In The Mausoleum’. Although lyrically romantic in most parts, the true beauty lies within the vast array of instrumentation that exists on this album: trumpet, ukulele, strings, piano, keyboards (to name just a few) come together perfectly with Zach’s melancholy vocals.

Released 8th October 2007 by 4AD.

Written by Jeff Schofield.