Hadsel

Description

Hadsel is Beirut's first new album since the release of Gallipoli in 2019 and the first on Pompeii Records, Zach Condon's own label. Recorded on the Norwegian island of Hadsel shortly after a physical and mental crisis forced him to cancel his 2019 tour, Zach was looking for a place to recover after being left in a state of shock and doubt. Working in isolation, Zach was lost in a trance, blindly stumbling upon a mental collapse that had been set aside since his adolescence. It came on suddenly and knocked him off balance. He found himself confronted with many past and present issues while the beauty of nature, the northern lights, and terrible storms put on an impressive display around him. The few hours of daylight revealed the unfathomable beauty of the mountains and fjords as the long twilights filled him with a meditative excitement. Zach likes to think that these landscapes are somehow present in the music. The resulting collection of songs beautifully reflects this vulnerability, this sense of self-determination, and the belief that after a collapse, one can relearn to fend for oneself.