Pitchfork

Beirut's Zach Condon co-opts locations, wears them like hats. So Lon Gisland's single space renders one of the most boring islands on earth into something exotic for him, and it finalizes his move from his hometown in New Mexico to Brooklyn; it's the first time he's named something after a place where he really lives. "Elephant Gun" begins with the same little ukulele chords from "Postcards From Italy" and it has a similar marching beat, with similar instrumental breakdowns placed strategically throughout the fuller, more present accordion and drums. But Condon's voice and instrument are almost the same now: His trumpet's vibrations are extensions of the natural ripples in his voice, while his voice's quick pitch changes are smooth and controlled, making him sound more mature than he looks. Otherwise, there aren't many clues to his growth on the EP. Condon declared a disinterest in lyrics in his Pitchfork interview; he only thinks about sounds. It's promising, then, to hear him learning to use the sounds of words to build lyrics that, if not smart, still slide. "We drink to die, we drink tonight," with its assonance and dipthonged [I] vowel, complement his lithe voice. "If I was young, I'd flee this town," he sings. He's getting older by the second.