Each day in December, I’ll be reflecting back on a song from the 2000’s. The decade saw the return of post-punk and the popularization of folk music, all while some of music’s biggest acts gained their indie footing. Thankfully, it’s a period that I can look back at fondly without cringing. #31DaysOf2000sSongs
One of my deep regrets as a music fan is not having discovered the unique world of Beirut sooner. Many artists have made a name for themselves crossing genres, but Beirut has surpassed that claim by crossing generations. The music of Zach Condon seems to live in two different worlds: old world influences with new world interpretations. The Flying Club Cup album is said to have been inspired by a photograph of a hot air balloon festival in Paris during the early 1900’s. It’s these types of references that make each Beirut song feel like a postcard from an earlier era — a greeting from another time and place. Each song on the album represents a different French city, and “Nantes” is one of my favorites.
An accordion. French horns. Euphoniums. And a string arrangement by Arcade Fire’s Owen Pallett. These are the instruments that paint the picture of the coastal city of Nantes. It’s Beirut’s magnum opus from The Flying Club Cup album. The song brings us back more than a century. The accordion lures me through the streets of Nantes, while the horns beckon me to the port. “Nantes” is a reminder that music can transport us to another era. It can introduce us to new places. And, on occasion, it can be unexpectedly romantic.
“I'll gamble away my fright. And I'll gamble away my time.”