Beirut’s ‘A Study of Losses’ Is an Impressive Feat » PopMatters

Zach Condon’s (Beirut) commission to compose music for a Swedish circus works well as an album but serves better as an artistic statement.

A Study of Losses Beirut Pompeii 18 April 2025

At nearly an hour runtime, Beirut’s A Study of Losses is Zach Condon‘s most extended release to date. Condon was approached by Viktoria Dalborg, director of the Swedish circus Kompani Giraff, and asked if he would create music for their next project, based on the novel (translated as) An Inventory of Losses by the German author Judith Schalansky.

If you’re thinking that’s a very specific request and relatively obscure, you’re not alone. Condon had to do his research and learn about the company to see if the aesthetic would fit his style. He said, “I was immediately taken by the costume, lighting, and stage design around the acrobatics.” While most listeners won’t necessarily witness the finished product, a quick search reveals Kompani Giraff, and this production in particular, combines theater, dance, magic, and acrobatics into a visual art form vastly different from what we in America consider the “circus”.

All of these points to the fact that A Study of Losses requires a commitment from listeners rarely seen in indie music, one that is usually reserved for live recordings, like concerts or classical performances. That is to take nothing away from the beauty Condon captures with his orchestration that both adds to the interpretation and serves as a standalone work. Dalborg must have known that Beirut would prove an ideal match, for if there is a contemporary musician not named Sufjan Stevens meant for this project, he was the one.

After meeting up with Dalborg in Stockholm to discuss the collaboration, Condon was invited to the director’s then current performance of “Moln”. Not surprisingly, the piece moved him. He said, “The show left me amazed and was unlike anything I have ever seen before.” The whole atmosphere, not just the strong performances, “made for a special kind of experience that went beyond a normal concert or theater piece.” 

Despite all the factors involved, the record came together organically. Condon found enough inspiration to write 11 original tracks, which correspond (as much as possible) to the story of a man obsessed with archiving all of humanity’s lost thoughts and creations, where they are collected on the moon. Dalborg urged him to compose additional pieces to match the length of the performance, so Condon included seven instrumentals he fittingly named after the lunar seas. It just so happened that he was dabbling in early choir works from the Renaissance at the time (because, of course, he was).   

Condon drew inspiration from the Magnetic Fields‘ 69 Love Songs (1999), which is an interesting place because, if anything, A Study of Losses leans into the classical nature of those recordings over their pop sensibility. Sure, this was also an ambitious undertaking, and Merritt’s magnum opus may have seemed like a good starting place, but unlike that work, the elegiac tone heard here cannot be ignored. There is an overwhelming sense of longing, even in the poppiest moments, like the synth-driven “Guericke’s Unicorn”, which could pass for a slow-motion “Santa Fe”. 

Assuming listeners approach the album with the right mindset, it should be a rewarding listen. Unlike a soundtrack, where the arrangement is meant to provide a backdrop, to heighten tension or reflect a particular feeling, the music in A Study of Losses feels just as much the focal point. The record is a journey, featuring many instantly recognizable Beirut styles, such as the percussive strumming on “Tuanaki Atoll” and mournful accordion on “Caspian Tiger”, with surprising textures, like the Air-meets-island sounds of “Ghost Train”. 

Fully investing in Beirut’s A Study of Losses can prove challenging, as Condon’s Balkan folk organized as movements serves as a pleasant background rather than demanding attention. That may be suitable because, despite each tune’s breezy nature, the themes do carry a lot of weight. For instance, “Garbo’s Face” deals with loss through the process of aging, with the lyrics, “I know your hair goes grey / I see the color fade / I see the time around your eyes.” The track ends with the character waiting, trapped in his senility, depicting a sympathetic and heartbreaking image. 

A Study of Losses is not for the casual listener. It’s an impressive feat, not the least of which is Condon’s sophistication as a musician and composer. It’s both less and more than one might expect when considering the demands of Beirut’s commission. As a standalone entity, the album works quite well, but it really shines as an artistic statement. One can only imagine the symbiosis achieved when Condon’s musical dexterity rises to meet the emotion that flows through the acrobatic show.