Beirut

Zach Condon recorded most of his breakout 2006 album all by his lonesome self. This EP initially surfaced in Europe as a bonus CD with the delayed release of The Gulag Orkestar, and on it Condon showcases the live band he’s been carting around ever since a quick blog buzz burst him out of his basement last spring. It’s hardly a major departure; his unintelligible croon is still front and centre, with armies of accordions and Balkan brass underscoring the swooping melodies. Yet this sounds very much like a stopgap release: there’s a reprise of Gulag’s "Scenic World,” two brief instrumentals and two new songs that, while decent, sound like little more than the leftover B-sides that they are. For completists only.