I feel like there hasn't been enough buzz for Fanfarlo's up and coming release Reservoir. Fanfarlo is an interesting band because their sound seems to encompass the sounds of other great indie bands and still make their sound their own. Simon Baltazar's voice has the uncanny ability to make one simultaneously think of Arcade Fire's Win Butler on "Pilot", Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody on "Comets", Coldplay's Chris Martin on "If it is Growing" and Beirut's Zach Condon on "The Walls are Coming Down". Further driving these comparisons are probably Fanfarlo's use of instrumentation. Their string section conjures up the dissonant and beautiful sound of Arcade Fire, while their horns remind one of Beirut. Then again there are those instruments that are purely Fanfarlo's doing: the wallowing musical saw or the waltzing melodica in "Luna".
I could go into every track of this album and explain what I like about it, but I don't think that would amount to much. The album is simple and yet beautiful, and if I could complain I would say that the album is too simple and perhaps too beautiful. Part of what made Arcade Fire's Funeral so perfect was that it bounced between beauty "Kettles", epic "Wake Up", chaotic "Neighboorhood #3 (Power Out)" and just fun "Rebellion (Lies)". Reservoir successfully accomplishes about two of these, while still having moments of the other two. I'd like to hear a little more of the fun and chaos, but who's to say that Fanfarlo needs to be like Arcade Fire? It's easy for me to compare Fanfarlo to other bands, but the Swedish group is very much their own. They're beautiful, fragile, and elegant.
Fanfarlo's album can be purchased/pre-ordered from their websiteand the Swedish group will be coming to Los Angeles's very own The Echo on Wednesday September 16th, 2009.
I Give Reservoir 8/10 Bleeding Heads
Check it Out: Fanfarlo - Luna
No comments:
Post a Comment