Little Beirut
High Dive
In Music We Trust
Little Beirut creates music that could be used as a textbook for Pop Music 101. Their debut, High Dive is catchy without being horribly annoying (are you paying attention Good Charlotte?) and lyrically intelligent without being pretentious.
“She’s a Martyr” is a pounding opener that introduces the band to the world with the grandiosity of U2 entering a sold out stadium. “Sniper’s Lament” is a haunting tale where “the paper said/you made your bed/don’t look back.” The music sounds as if Sufjan Stevens and Death Cab for Cutie did a one time mash-up.
The name Little Beirut comes from nickname George H.W. Bush gave to Portland when he visited the city. Chris Robley helped produce the album and it shows on tracks like the folky “Love During Wartime,” a sarcastic love song dedicated to Condoleezza Rice. This track is the crown jewel of Bush-bashing songs and is a must for anyone looking forward to the imminent change in office.
High Dive is almost the perfect pop record. It’s literate, catchy, and radio-ready. It may not launch the band to super-stardom just yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they use it as a springboard (pun intended) to a long-lasting and lucrative career. Little Beirut is here to stay.
