I have answered my own question: Yes, it is too soon to declare Best Album of the Year.

Today I got an advance copy of the new Beirut album The Flying Club Cup, which officially drops October 9th. This posse put out my favorite album last year, the mind blowing Gulag Orkestar, which means that this one comes much anticipated. At this point it's too soon to compare the two, having only listened to this new one twice through, but I can safely say it's a captivating collection full of the familiar gypsy sounds from the last album as well as some new unpredictable grooviness; that said, it isn't much of a departure from the last. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I don't know yet.