Posted on: March 9, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Little Beirut – High Dive / 2008 Self / 12 Tracks / http://www.littlebeirut.com /

The style of music with which Little Beirut start off their “High Dive” is somethignt hat is emotionally intense but full of the same jangly, guitar-driven indie rock that individuals have heard from acts as wide as Coldplay and Radiohead. The band starts the disc with “She’s A Martyr”,  a track that links together these two styles while coming ultimately forth with a style of rock that could keep pace with acts like The Killers. The band’s high momentum continues through “Sniper’s Lament”, a song that adds a large amount of electronic arrangements to the mix. Where it is not as significant as the vocals or the instrumentation on the disc, a special note has to be taken about the lush production values that are present during “High Dive”.

This production allows each part of the band to shine while bringing together the constituent parts together into something that is much more than each separate could conceivably be. Despite the fact that Little Beirut takes a much more sedate tack with “Sniper’s Lament”, their addition of a Death Cab for Cutie / Transatlanticism-esque sound to the track is what is needed to keep individuals at the edge of their seats. Despite the fact that the band’s own unique sound goes away slightly during “Acid Wash Soul”, the radio-friendly sound presented listeners by the band during this track will ensure that listeners stay for a number of tracks to come.

From the distorted, dystopian sound achieved during “Acid Wash Soul”, the subtle and sedate sound of the band during “Loose Medusa” shows that Little Beirut could conceivably change up their sound without throwing out the contributions of the prior tracks on the disc. The band’s sound comes through much easier during “Loose Medusa”, allowing the act to conceivably get on alternative rock rotation with a song that provides those that listen in with a better sense of who the band is and what they are trying to do with “High Dive”.  If individuals are familiar with rock radio only, it may be a little bit of a hard sell for Little Beirut. However, if the individual likes their Coldplay, Snow Patrol, or the like, chances are good that the fan will also like “High Dive”.  Give them a try if you like this particular style of music, and if you aren’t convinced, just wait a few months. They will get big sooner rather than later.

Top Tracks: Estacada, The Believers

Rating: 6.9/10

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