When I saw Beirut perform at Emo's during SXSW last year, I felt my entire body melt at the first verse Zach Condon belted. I've pretty much been floored ever since (ba dum bumb). Granted, the initial awe may have dulled a little, but I'm genuinely impressed by what I perceive to be a balance of humility and talent. He's so comfortable. His appearance is that of a disheveled child but his performance that of a seasoned crooner. I love the melting pot feel in the layers of orchestration. I read this article months ago that I wish I could find to post, but basically I read about how he'd created and pieced together the layers himself for his first recordings and then had to find musicians to replicate the sound so he could tour. I think at first he bombed live, but he worked with the musicians and put emphasis on their sound being loud and messy. I find his approach unique in that it's melancholy and overwhelmingly beautiful. It just really hits me.

As I've previously stated, I'm always impressed when a song and video compliment one another and capture something new and exciting. I'm pretty sure I watched the video counterpart for "Elephant Gun" five times in a row in sheer awe of the beautiful mess. It's bazaar and brilliantly unafraid.