Beirut – The Rip Tide

One of my favorite albums from any band, not just Beirut. Aesthetically its very slick and simple but has its iconic look. The sound itself however I feel is a tad lacking. Perhaps its the fault of my setup but I feel it lacks a little bit of that ompf that Beirut has and sounds a little toned down.Their earlier album, The flying club cup does sound better to my ears. You could try the issues mastered by Golden masterings, they usually do a good job. While the mastering could be better dont let this stop you from buying it however, it is still worthy as a Beirut record.

Update:
Finally Im able to make my EU vs US cut comparison for a low price as these reissues use the very same metalwork as found on the original US release.
It should first be noted how remarkably similar they really are and that any given favor for one could instead subjectively be seen as positive for the other.
We have a similar spectrum usage, perhaps having ever so slight more bass on the US Golden.
The real pro for the US is the soundstaging however, as I noted more presence on drums and vocals on the title track, but again very slightly so at best.
A con which likely arises from this is the dab of sibilance added to the US. It wasnt particularly distracting on my end but I can imagine people with fatter styli noticing this difference more so between the versions.
Lastly the separation on inner tracks might be edged yet again in favor for the Golden cut, being harder to differentiate performances on the EU release.
This is the type of comparison which is hardest to make, where similarities are so great that you second guess your notes and have to force multiple listens which becomes tedious.
So keep this in mind and dont bother hunting down both if youre happy with one already.
Both pressings are very quietly pressed but having a brand new copy which I believe to be somewhat better sounding overall makes me favor the US. I just wish the reissues had a cloth cover as well.
In the end I dont particularly think either version brings out the full potential of the music and wish these albums get an audiophile treatment someday.

Equipment Used:
Rega RP1 with Paratrace tipped Nagaoka MP-200
Cyrus 2 Amplifier
System Fidelity SF-3050 Tower Speakers
Custom made HQ Speaker Cables

My copy doesn't have a postcard nor barcode. It is black.