A Study of Losses is the seventh album by American alt-folk/indie chamber duo Beirut. Like a breadcrumb trail, the theme of loss traces a sinuous but continuous line through it. Fauna and flora, of course, in these times of climate crisis, but also cultural icons and our own individual progress towards disappearance through ageing are evoked. These 18 beautiful, soothing miniatures (even the more alert ones) exude a pervasive but not overwhelming sense of melancholy. Zach Condon’s calm voice (reminiscent of Rufus Wainwright’s) is as benevolent as ever, and the delicate arrangements magnify the beauty of the lyrics and melodies.
Like a sort of American version of saudade (an emotional state of melancholic or profoundly nostalgic longing and mixed with reverie, coming from the Portuguese), A Study of Losses proves that the sadness of things lost can be delicious.
