No, No, No
by Beirut
  • Record Label: 4AD
  • Release Date: Sep 11, 2015
Metascore
64

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
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  1. Magnet
    Sep 22, 2015
    80
    No No No plays less like a travelogue than simply what it is: a really good--if brief--Beirut album. [No. 124, p.52]
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  2. The Line of Best Fit
    Sep 18, 2015
    80
    Ultimately, one of No No No’s greatest strengths is its lack of clarity.
  3. Record Collector
    Sep 11, 2015
    80
    A record that’s strongest when at its most unassuming.
  5. Drowned In Sound
    Sep 9, 2015
    80
    The entire record sounds like a calmly-executed upswing, both personally and professionally.
  6. Exclaim
    Sep 9, 2015
    80
    Condon is at the heart of each song, so while a hopeful tone is central to both the music and lyrics, No No No is a portrait of a man putting on a brave face while piecing his life back together, and it's all the more engaging for it.
  7. AllMusic
    Sep 10, 2015
    70
    No No No is a feel-good mean of the band's prior releases that should appeal to the Beirut loyal as well as serve as a fine representative for any potential admirers who've simply managed to miss them along the way.
  8. Pitchfork
    Sep 9, 2015
    67
    No No No may sound ineffectual after a cursory listen, but it reveals some subtle pleasures if you keep it in rotation.
  9. Under The Radar
    Aug 26, 2015
    65
    Though there's much to be said for brevity, at times it feels as though No No No shuts the door too quickly, where exploration could potentially yield something deeper. [Aug-Sep 2015, p.60]
  10. NOW Magazine
    Nov 11, 2015
    60
    No No No's a pleasantly nostalgic experience, but ultimately it feels insubstantial.
  11. DIY Magazine
    Sep 11, 2015
    60
    It’s the same bloatedness that often permeates through a Beirut record, and despite a short recording time Condon hasn’t quite been able to shake it, leaving us with a familiar and easy-going album that might step in a different direction, but ultimately remains distinctively Beirut.
  12. musicOMH.com
    Sep 8, 2015
    60
    There does seem something a bit rushed and unfinished about No No No though (which is ironic, given its long gestation period).
  13. Clash Music
    Sep 1, 2015
    60
    No, No, No is as sweet but as filling as an after dinner mint, and sadly it's probably dinner this album should accompany.
  14. Mojo
    Aug 26, 2015
    60
    With a playing time of just 29 minutes, this feels more like a holding exercise than a fully-fledged long-playing statement. [Oct 2015, p.88]
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  15. Q Magazine
    Aug 26, 2015
    60
    Condon proves that less can be more. [Oct 2015, p.102]
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  16. Uncut
    Aug 26, 2015
    60
    No No No is limited overall, and finds Condon's filigreed production out of step with the minimalist balladeering peers who have flourished in his four-year absence. [Oct 2015, p.71]
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  17. Consequence
    Sep 18, 2015
    58
    No No No is agreeable front to back, but it’s miles away from the youthful, heartfelt, inspired work of Beirut’s past--a world that may be too washed over with sadness to ever truly pull exuberance from again.
  18. Pretty Much Amazing
    Sep 11, 2015
    50
    Ostensibly their pop record, this brisk, 29-minute album album runs out of ideas in the first ten.
  19. Spin
    Sep 10, 2015
    50
    With the drums intimately booming and the occasional zap of an analog synth snaking across the formalist woodenness, the blessed simplicity of the arrangements on No No No makes one cry out for a more adventurous artist to place in these settings.
  20. New Musical Express (NME)
    Sep 22, 2015
    40
    The record peaks with its first two songs.... The rest is Condon shirking off the grandeur of his earlier arrangements with his simplest songs yet, but without showing he’s got the songwriting chops to move on.
  21. The Independent (UK)
    Sep 4, 2015
    40
    While pleasant in places, there’s a lack of drive about Zach Condon’s latest outing as Beirut.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 27 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 27
  3. Negative: 3 out of 27
  1. djkeef13
    Sep 23, 2015
    7
    I love Beirut. I love this album.

    Lots of critics have ripped on No No No, saying it is too melancholy, or too simple. Gosh, who hasn't    I love Beirut. I love this album.

    Lots of critics have ripped on No No No, saying it is too melancholy, or too simple. Gosh, who hasn't had a melancholy day, or needed some simplicity after a tough time in their life? I love this album not because it's his best album to date (The Rip Tide is my favorite), but because this album is the best representation of his current emotional state. One that I think we can all identify with from time to time.

    The album opens up with Gibraltar, a simple piano melody and upbeat tempo. This song is missing the trademark brass arrangements, but it still sounds very Beirut. I've been hearing it on the radio some, and it fits right in with other alternative pop/rock.

    After Gibraltar is the title track, No No No. This track opens up with some electronic bouncy melody, a la "Scenic World," but ditches it after the intro. I wish it would have stuck around, I liked it a lot. The chorus brings back the brass arrangements we all love.

    Fener is my favorite track on the album. It's a much different sound than what we are used to from Beirut, but in a great way. Some hints of psychedelic pop mixed in with the piano and brass from earlier in the album. As Needed is another interesting track - an instrumental with lots of strings, which brings Andrew Bird to mind.

    Pacheco is my least favorite track. The tempo is rather somber. However, I don't hate it. I just wish it had a little more life.

    What I liked even less is the production quality on this album. Overall, I find it to be very raw, a demo mix at best. There's very few electronic effects (outside of basic reverb/compression), which could have brought a new twist to this album. The stereo field is mostly very narrow - the vocals usually stay dead center with very few moments of harmony/overdubbing. I would also say the mix is very dark. The piano, Rhodes, brass, baritone vocals, and dull snare drum all mash together in the 300-500 Hz range to create a rather mushy/muddy sound. There's not much contrast in the tone/timbre between all of the instruments. Mixing is always a matter of taste, but I suppose my tastes prefer a wider sonic band.

    Overall, I really enjoy this album, though few others seem to feel the same way. I would love to hear more from Beirut in the near future!    … Full Review »
  2. nirvanafreak
    Sep 11, 2015
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. Rating:58/100
    Favourite Tracks: No No No, Gibraltar, As Needed, Perth
    Least Favourite Tracks: August Holland
    This record may be small but instrumentally it's very grand. The bass and the piano sound really nice together and they're mixed really well, the whole record has a really crisp sound. If I could give them advice I'd say use more of the Bongo. It sounds so good on 'Gibraltar'. Give me more of that bongo boy. It's a really feel good album but Nordon's melodies are, for the most part, underwhelming which can really drag down the lyrics. What he's saying could resonate with a lot of people if it caught their ear. Even if it's sometimes difficult to understand him. Another thing that could be improved on this album is the variety of the songs because 3 or 4 tracks on here sound a little too similar and when there's only 9 tracks it's a bit of a problem.
    Will I Return To It: To the lead singles yeah
    If You Like This Try: The Gulag Orkestar by Beirut    … Full Review »
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