Recorded on the very island in Norway that gave the new Beirut album its name, Hadsel is something of a surprise return. After Zach Condon opted to cancel his remaining Beirut shows in 2019, many presumed that could well be the end for the project. Inspired by the natural beauty revealed by the few hours of daylight the island enjoyed, and the magic of a prolonged twilight, Hadsel is the sound of one of our favourite songwriters dusting himself off and trying again. - Flying Out

Hadsel is the first new full-length record since Beirut’s 2019 release, Gallipoli, and the first on Zach Condon’s own label, Pompeii Records. Recorded in the Norwegian island of Hadsel shortly after a physical and mental break forced Condon to cancel is 2019 tour, Condon was looking for a place to recover after being left in a state of shock and self-doubt.

Working in isolation, Condon explains, “I was lost in a trance, stumbling blindly through my own mental collapse that I had been pushing aside since I was a teenager. It came and rang me like a bell. I was left agonising many things past and present while the beauty of the nature, the northern lights and fearsome storms played an awesome show around me. The few hours of light would expose the unfathomable beauty of the mountains and the fjords, and the hours- long twilights would fill me with subdued excitement. I’d like to believe that scenery is somehow present in the music.

The resulting is collection of songs beautifully reflect that vulnerability, sense of self-determination and belief that after collapse, one can learn to manage on their own again.

Tracklisting:

1. Hadsel
2. Arctic Forest
3. Baion
4. So Many Plans
5. Melbu
6. Stokmarknes
7. Island Life
8. Spillhaugen
9. January 18th
10. Süddeutsches Ton-Bild
11. The Tern
12. Regulatory