Fanfarlo – Reservoir
October 15th, 2009 | by Jess Alatorre | published in folk, indie pop | 3 comments
click image to view album in itunes
sounds like: Noah and the Whale, Neutral Milk Hotel, Beirut, Freelance Whales
What’s so good?
I’m in love with this self-released debut album. This is what we’ve all been looking for: some tapping, some smooth London-boy vocals, poetic lyrics… These songs sound like effort, patience and thoughtfulness, and the results are beautiful. The London-based group, fronted by Swedish-born Simon Balthazar, must be on the brink of making it big. Fanfarlo’s instrumentation here is grand: from violins to trumpets and mandolin all add to the glockenspiel, guitar and drums.
I’m trying to decide what song I like best; all of them are so charmingly full of soul. “Ghosts” and “Luna” have one sound, while “the walls are falling down” and “drowning men” bring out a different mood. This album is more than music, its pure art. The music induces foot tapping, but also sets emotions whirling. Yet, even with its changes, this is a cohesive album. There is one emotional and melodic journey here; a musical journey I’ve already jumped on.
There’re some bands that surpass the day-to-day shrapnel that so often seems to be significant in music. They simply transcend the bouffant mullets, neon vests and Fisher Price synths – which isn’t to say their art is any more precious, more that they’d rather get their heads down and retreat to craft a stirring opus before freeing it upon the world. … Fanfarlo have mastered the ability to merge a sincere melancholy with a passion that really connects, strings zapping you like electric currents in the sea of kitchen sink instrumentation leading Balthazar’s open-book vocal refrains. ‘Reservoir’ is ample testimony of their talents, and marks the long-awaited arrival proper of one of the country’s most promising (not so) new bands – Clash Music
elsewhere on the web:
myspace | myspace.com/fanfarlo
strangeglue review | strangeglue.com
the torture garden review | thetorturegarden.blogspot.com
download:
fanfarlo – the walls are coming down
October 20th, 2009 at 2:29 pm (#)
good stuff! as i get to the end of the track i feel more awake than i did a few moments ago on this cloudy day on campus.
i’m surprised at how similar this group sounds to beirut. from the trumpets to the choral like vocals with the male lead… they don’t have any common members you didn’t mention, do they?
October 20th, 2009 at 2:39 pm (#)
Lauren, you’re right. i totally hear the The beirut sounds as well. In my research I didn’t find any connections.
maybe it’s best to say that fanfarlo is the european version of [american] beirut? Enjoy.
October 29th, 2009 at 2:01 am (#)
depending on what track, I hear three bands: Beirut, arcade fire and just a little clap your hands say yeah. beyond all that they are a great band. it’s a good solid album.