Hadsel

Zach Condon takes his stage name from the capital of Lebanon because Beirut is where cultures meet and was ‘known to be synonymous with chaos.’ Condon has confessed he was in a chaotic state himself in 2019 after ‘multiple complicated throat ailments and yet another total burnout.’

Condon sought refuge and restoration in the northern Norwegian island of Hadsel. There he met Oddvar, who collects and refurbishes pump organs. Oddvar gave Beirut access to Hadselkirke (Hadsel church), and its organ. For two months Beirut worked in the octagonal wooden church and, inspired by the view from his cabin, island life and the Northern Lights, created the songs that became Hadsel.

The eponymous first track sets off with pumpy organ chords before brass bursts in. Beirut begins to sing, so languorously that scarcely a word can be grasped. It’s an intriguing, enjoyable opener. ‘Stokmarknes’ (the name of the main town) kicks off with brass; ‘Baion’ sambas over synthy percussion; ‘So Many Plans’ begins with the strumming of Beirut’s other key instrument, the baritone ukulele.

Sadly, this becomes the mode of the entire album – drony organ, brass intervention, synthetic percussion, dreamy vocals – with little variation in tempo. Beirut needs to be wary; northern winter nights, despite the Lights, can be long and tedious.