The band Beirut began as a solo project of frontman Zachary Condon in 2006. With a plethora of EPs and albums in its resume, Beirut is back with Artifacts that takes experiential musicianship to a whole new level. The latest double album is a collection of unreleased songs, early works, B-sides and EPs from its eclectic discography.

The interesting aspects of this album stem from the fact that it consists of Condon’s earliest recordings from when he was 14 and figuring out his sound, which went on to become the sound of Beirut. In many ways, Artifacts is a documentation of the evolution of the band and Condon himself. This 26-track album is divided into four sections that have a story to tell in the sonic history of Beirut. The opening song Elephant gun gently nudges the listeners into a magical one and a half hours of an album that progresses with astonishing ease.