Beirut: March of the Zapotec/Holland

Label: Pompeii

Zach Condon reestablishes himself as a one-man indie sort of rough guide. During the past year—a time in which he made a much-talked-about retreat from the rigors of touring—Condon’s also been venturing down to a small town in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, where he enlisted a local band to help him realize the latest batch of Beirut songs. The six tunes that make up March of the Zapotec—the first disc of this double EP —reflect Condon’s singular way of incorporating influences without succumbing to stylistic affectation; like his past work that built from French, Roma and Italian inspirations, March ultimately sounds like Beirut. The second disc, Holland, is what will really startle old fans. Returning to his bedroom and reviving his pre-Beirut solo band name Realpeople, Condon presents Holland, five melodic tracks of drum-machine-based pop that bring him closer to the dancefloor—not the lovely waltz-time of many Beirut songs but the frickin’ club dancefloor—than he’s surely ever been. (Yet.) Try not bopping around your bedroom (or record store) when you hear “No Dice.” (M.L. Thrope)