If you thought the limits of surf-rock had been reached by Gitkin or Ribot or Khruangbin then the Beirut trio Prefaces have other ideas. Formed around the mercurial and prolific multi-instrumentalist Charif Megarbane, convener of the Cosmic Analogue Ensemble and more, with Fender expressionist Salim Naffah plus drumming dynamo Pascal Semerdjian from the mighty Sanam, this band inject new magic into the everlasting twang. Shot through with whirling doses of Mediterranean psych, garage vibes, lo-fi funk and sparkling Levantine pop, the Prefaces sound takes the familiar to new places, glimpsing a past but speaking to the present.
The trio’s 2021 ‘Hippodrome’ debut on Megarbane’s Hisstology label, merged rich guitar-fronted tunes with vibrant Arabic motifs and a raucous, live dynamic. ‘Acqua Marina’, their follow up out now via Ruptured Records, sustains that energy but extends the ambition. The new album brings Megarbane’s cinematic/library musicality further into the soundscape, edging the recording closer to his delectable Habibi Funk solo releases like ‘Marzipan’ or ‘Hawalat’ but without supressing Preface’s rhythmic and melodic focus. To pinch one of Megarbane’s descriptors, ‘Acqua Marina’ sees the band exploring “groove-stalgia” and finding intriguing new territories.
Beginning with the filmic, swooning overture of Abu Sinn and closing with the unapologetic widescreen balladry of Jaro suggests an album which sees the trio shift into a more pastoral mood but what lays between such bookends is a complex travelogue of emotions and experiences. ‘Acqua Marina’ is a recording which absorbs a sense of place and time, taking you in along the way.
There are familiar Prefaces moments of glorious surf and jangle with the rumbustious Firan, where the wheezy Farfisa patterns get eerie, the tom-toms rumble and Naffah’s decisive Fender Jag cuts through the gauzey mesh of fuzz chords. Malifa takes a similar starting point, a Dick Dale heist movie riff, but then shifts to a sixties pop flow with swooping organ sounds curling around a sashaying melody. Perhaps Sultan Brahim follows the most straight-ahead groove with its romping rhythms and trilling bazouk-lines matching the celebratory zest of Omar Souleyman or Mohammad Syfkhan’s party starters. Still within all these snapshots there’s a simmering undercurrent, a yearning for lively summers and simple peace which has inspired the band to sonically step beyond the raucous thrills of their debut.
The progression on ‘Acqua Marina’ shines through on the Nouvelle Vague overtones and Arabic pop balladry of Bezreh. Any band that can merge castanets, a brisk indie bounce, some scuttling synth lines and big moment staccato into a breezy but slightly unsettling three minutes are on the exciting side of invention. The same goes for the squelchy funk meets zithering Med lightness of Balamida, a piece of distinctive mood music which casts hazy images from films vaguely remembered, all winding roads, dusty cars, breezy drives and long cigarettes.
Prefaces music may echo as far back as the classic instrumental sheen of Hank and The Shadows or the dustbowl spaciousness of Morricone but this album strides way further than any quirky pastiche. Modal Arabic patterns and the melodies of their homeland underpin these tunes whether in slow or fast gear. The gorgeous shuffling rhumba of Braa twists silkily to a pipe-toned synth as lush Levantine orchestral strings swirl and on the elegant Lekkos Sakhre there’s an airy gentleness to its waltzing contentment. This song may highlight Prefaces’ unashamedly straightforward approach, all fluttering guitars, easy listening string descants and unhurried, mellow vibes but it still comes embroidered with some real tangible joy.
Despite its generally understated mood, the detailing in the arrangements, the small pauses, the seamless transitions all subtly increase the impact of ‘Acqua Marina’ as an album. The melodic interplay between Megarbane and Naffah’s instrumentation thrives throughout while Pascal Semerdjian’s drumming eases between sensitive shading and infectious pace-setting. On the psychedelic bossa Marmoura he guides the trio to an ecstatic percussive breakout which never wears thin.
As a whole ‘Acqua Marina’ is a deceptively compelling album which superficially could be taken as a bunch of well-played tunes. However the nostalgic, retro stylings, from the cover (an emptied lido pool) to the surf rock and soundtrack reverberations, are not just posed constructions but part of a genuine emotional response by the band to their experiences here and now. It’s that context which gives this intriguing statement from Prefaces a lasting edge.
Get your copy of ‘Acqua Marina‘ by Prefaces from your local record store or direct from Ruptured Records HERE
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