Ibn El Leil

There is a bit of brilliance emanating from the Beirut underground. It takes the form of five handsome blokes who are burning it up in the wake of their fourth album's release. It is only fitting that Mashrou' Leila's new album, "Ibn El Leil" (meaning 'son of the night'), is accompanied by their most extensive U.S. tour to date. It is a remarkably modern and fun album that fuses impassioned instrumentation with synth experimentation. There is gloss, a glint of glamour; but the grammar of the dancefloor and the smooth vocals of front man Hamid Sinno are applied to songs that are often introspective and intricate. This is not pop music whose function is simplistic - a callow call to the dancefloor. This is seductive pop that is clever and full.

Like the image from their video for opening track, "Aoede," of a bull licking a wandering man from behind, their sound and persona are playful and affectionate. Sinno sings in Arabic, though if you're craving comprehension of content, versions with translated lyrics exist on Youtube. As the album unfolds, the listener is taken on a journey through night which lands on experiences such as the loneliness that can be felt while dancing in a crowd as well as last year's shootings in Lebanon.

The fact that Sinno is openly gay also adds to the singularity of Mashrou' Leila, as his lyrics also touch on rights struggles and aspects of gay life. This also contributes to their vitality as a cultural force in the Middle East. Make no mistake; they are a formidable force. They sell out capacious venues in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and the European beyond. Yet they are also up against formidable forces. Take, for example, the Jordanian government's recent decision to cancel their upcoming show out of 'moral' concerns.

Sinno's Instagram feed includes a note in protest of the Jordanian government's obtuse decision, as well as a testament of an apparent fan in North Carolina about to take a piss of protest in a women's bathroom, with Mashrou' Leila playing in mind. There's no show in NC this time around, but American Airlines has plenty of direct flights from Charlotte to Chicago, where the guys play Logan Square Auditorium on June 3.

On this tour, they also head north of the border for a few shows, including an appearance at Toronto's Pride Festival. The band has a big sound (including violin) possessing the power to be either intimate or anthemic, so it's easy to imagine them filling stadiums and outdoor spaces with their exuberance. Plus, Sinno oozes charisma. In "3 Minutes", an inescapably catchy track regardless of language barrier, he requests (in Arabic), "humor me for a 3 minute pop song". You'll likely want to humor him and his band for much more.

Visit the band's website for tour info and tickets: http://www.mashrouleila.com/#tour.