HNAF: Beirut’s A Study of Losses Delivers Elegiac Chamber-Pop Brilliance – 9/10 Review
Beirut’s A Study of Losses is a luminous tapestry of sound that finds Zach Condon at his most daring and heartfelt. Commissioned as a score for a Swedish circus production, the album unfurls across 18 tracks that feel at once playful and profound—an exploration of absence, memory, and the strange beauty of impermanence.
From the hypnotic opening of “Ghost Train,” where waltzing brass meets glowing synth waves, to the intimate folk lilt of “Villa Sacchetti,” Condon balances his trademark baritone and ukulele with unexpected electronic flourishes. Scattered throughout are seven instrumental interludes—harpsichord, string quartets, and whispered choirs—that serve as quiet oases between sweeping vocal pieces, transforming the record into a kind of chamber-pop suite.
Standouts like “Guericke’s Unicorn” and “Tuanaki Atoll” shimmer with neon-lit rhythms and piano-driven elegy, while lyrics drawn from Condon’s own brushes with loss—divorce, addiction, creative burnout—lend every song a raw, confessional edge. Yet A Study of Losses never sinks into despair; instead, it radiates a gentle hope, inviting listeners to embrace grief as the doorway to deeper connection and wonder.
Flowing seamlessly from one mood to the next, this album is a testament to Beirut’s evolution—rooted in folk tradition but fearlessly expanding into new sonic frontiers. It’s an immersive journey through vanished worlds and untold stories, and by its end you’re left both haunted and uplifted.
Rating: 9/10 – GREAT Album
