Fanfarlo is an international collective based out of London with a Swedish vocalist called Simon Balthazar and a Belgian girl playing the violin. On “Reservoir” they don’t mind going for an orchestral sound yet they never lose sight of writing an actual song with catchy hooks and memorable melodies, albeit a song with many layers.
It’s hard to listen to Balthazar sing without thinking of David Byrne. It’s also very hard to listen to songs like “I’m A Pilot” or “The Walls Are Coming Down” with its Balkan-inspired trumpet and not think of Beirut. And it’s at least equally hard to listen to Fanfarlo play songs like “Luna” and “Drowning Men” and not think of Arcade Fire.
So okay, Fanfarlo might not have a very original sound. But unlike Arcade Fire these songs do not make me want to cut my wrists. Instead songs like “Fire Escape” always manage to make me smile and for that they deserve all the credit they can get. Not that they really need my support after having recently been on both Letterman and Carson Daly.
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.atlanticrecords.com
http://www.fanfarlo.com
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