Beirut - March of the Zapotec

Beirut - March of the Zapotec - 090131

Unlike any other album I have heard. Downloaded from iTunes and these are first impressions.

Lots of horns - unusual - but very interesting. Mexican flavored. Feel like you've dropped into a small Mexican town and the band has started playing.

Track by track

El Zocalo - very short - fades in and and then out - interesting choice. Title refers to the main square in Mexico City. Sets the location and the tone.

La Llorona - Tough to get the lyric but very heavy Mexican flavor and then sounds like Godfather old school dance tune. Never heard the possible connections before. Lots of horns with a bit of drums. Title refers to a popular Spanish legend about a woman who kills her children after being rejected by a man. Ouch.

My Wife - Horns, sounds almost like a continuation of the previous song. No vocal

The Akara - Horns but seem to have left Mexico - ukelele with horns on rythme and then a trumpet melody - vocal again hard to grab the lyrics - usually a good sign, means I want/need to listen more. Might refer to a woman who is barren.

On a Bayonet - dirge like opening - sad trumpet on top.

The Shrew - Om Pah like again with the solitary trumpet on the melody. Some story here about the Shrew but I can't tell you what it is. Then a chase type musical theme develops, faster and faster, and then back to the Omm Pah theme to end. Huh?!

My Night With The Prostitute - solo keyboard -still struggling with the lyric - interesting vocal with drum machine and keyboard continuing. Minimalist

My Wife, Lost in the Wild - electronic again, drum machine, vocal very hard to get lyric - duh, like what did I expect.

Venice - more dreamy with electronic piano, multi-part singing - no drums, fades away

The Concubine starts with an solo accordion joined by triangles and chimes, ends with solo organ.

Ends with No Dice. Electronic, maybe for a dance club. No vocal. Kind of fun sounds and can imagine dancing and sweating to this one - assuming I was at a dance club - not bloody likely. Kind of an Animal Collective vibe.

Talk about a bunch of different songs. Most songs with a female theme, two about "his" wife, one about the Concubine and another about the Shrew. Then add in the Weeping Woman - La Llorna - and I'm guessing when I figure out the lyrics on the other songs, a woman will be front and center.

Makes more sense now but still mostly a mystery. Glad I bought it but hard to recommend it too strongly. I have a feeling I will like it more as I listen more.

Cheers