It's been four years since Beirut released their last studio album, The Flying Club Cup (they've not been entirely quiet in the interim, of course, releasing the March of the Zapotec EP back in 2009).
It may be billed as a "dramatic and intimate shift" from Zach Condon's band's previous work, but to our ears The Rip Tide still contains many trademark Beirut-isms: a stirring brass section is ever present and, most importantly, Condon's knack with a heart-wrenching melody hasn't gone astray either.
Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Full tracklisting
A Candle's Fire
Santa Fe
East Harlem
Goshen
Payne's Bay
The Rip Tide
Vagabond
The Peacock
Port of Call
