Zach Condon, otherwise known as Beirut, having it hit it (fairly) big with his full length debut Gulag Orkestar, assembled a full band and hit the road. While the full band's first joint studio effort, and Beirut's second CD, is due October 9th, you can get a feel for what to expect - and also tide yourself over until the next release - by picking up the Lon Gisland EP. Beirut, in case you're not aware, is probably the best eastern-European influenced indie pop band ever. If you've ever wanted to listen to a pop album that contains horns, violins, accordions, and zero guitars, Beirut is your band.

The disc clocks in at about seventeen minutes and five tracks, but given the accordingly low price, that's really not a bad thing. As with Gulag Orkestar, everything on here is good. My favorite track is probably Scenic World, which Beirut re-recorded with the full band for Lon Gisland. It's the only re-record on the EP, but it is a damn good one. I think that bodes well for Beirut having picked up the other members: an old song got better with their addition. My Family's Role in the World Revolution is a great fast-paced instrumental, with the horns and piano on it evidence that you don't need stringed instruments (yeah yeah, the piano - you know what I mean) to rock out. Though it's largely about the horns, there is variety in instrumentation. The brass takes a backseat to vocals, piano, and snare for the first half of Carousels, which manages to evoke a mood perfectly captured by its title. And both Elephant Gun and Scenic World really make me want to go buy an accordion.

This one's an easy purchase, really - if you like Gulag Orkestar and want more, pick up Lon Gisland. Hell, if you haven't heard Beirut and don't want to spend $13 finding out if you do, this isn't a bad way to go.