Fanfarlo
Reservoir (Canvasback/Atlantic)Formed in London in 2006 by Swedish musician Simon Balthazar, Fanfarlo finally unleashed its debut, Reservoir, last year. The largely acoustic quintet has been described as Beirut meets Okkervil River: There’s the rollicking, rootsy melodies of Okkervil and the almost vaudevillian use of brass and strings per Beirut. There’s also an element here that defies description, in the tension between the delicately plucked strings and the lyrical fatalism of “The Walls Are Coming Down.” It’s in the sugarcoated violence of “Comets” and the upbeat isolation of “Harold T. Wilkins, or How to Wait for a Very Long Time.” From the dirge-like clash of opener “I’m a Pilot” to the peaceful strains of “Good Morning Midnight,” Reservoir explores the interstices between beauty and hideousness, the duality of existence, while also manifesting compelling and eminently listenable music. (Wed., 10pm, Galaxy Room Backyard; Fri., 12mid, the Ale House.)
This article appears in March 19 • 2010.