Fanfarlo Get a Debut Done

Reservoir delivers a polished premiere, but leaves plenty of promise for a sophomore release.

Fanfarlo
Reservoir
Release Date: Jul 7, 2009

Fanfarlo’s Reservoir is the kind of debut album I’m surprised more bands don’t make. It’s a polished, listenable, well-crafted album - full of promise, but with significant flaws, mostly derived from steering far too close to obvious influences and the occasional lyrical clunkiness. And while Reservoir is a solid first effort, it’s an album presented so gingerly that the lingering impression is one of curiosity at what Fanfarlo might do once the band gets a little more confident.  

Opener “I’m a Pilot” embodies the general timidity that pops up at various points on the album.  Its initial piano melody and thumping rhythm plod on for almost a minute and a half before abruptly giving way to a boisterous singalong chorus. Yet just as the band seems to be building to some kind of peak, a shimmering wave of distorted guitar, flute, and piano bursting through as the band seems finally on the verge of letting loose, the bottom drops out and the song returns to its thumpy drums and plodding piano motif, never really reaching the crescendo it builds toward. 

Thankfully “Pilot” is followed by two of the album’s most promising tracks, “Ghost” and “Luna,” whose lighthearted melodies and toe-tapping rhythms seem to indicate that yes, Fanfarlo is a band that’s capable of having some fun. And, despite the songs themselves seeming overly referential to early-2000s influences like The Arcade Fire and Beirut –“Drowning Man” in particular employs a bassline and vocal performance so reminiscent of The Arcade Fire’s “Rebellion (Lies)” that frontman Simon Balthazar might want to start paying Win Butler royalties right now just to avoid trouble down the road – though, it’s definitely a nice change of pace to hear a chamber pop band that isn’t afraid to be danceable and fun. 

After “Luna” the band seems to get most of the obvious musical references out of their system (save for the aforementioned “Drowning Man”), and does a better job of showcasing its own unique sound. “The Walls Are Coming Down” is easily the best and most promising song on the album, a lively, jangly melody complimented by one of the album’s few memorable choruses – hopefully the kind of song that illustrates what Fanfarlo might produce down the road. And while songs like “Fire Escape” and “Harold T. Wilkins” waste some very effective pop songwriting on wordy choruses that unfortunately keep them from becoming truly memorable songs, both of them reflect the potential that Balthazar and company have, mixing unique instrumentation with excellent pop sensibilities. 

Ultimately Reservoir is a solid first effort from a relatively young band, an extremely listenable album that will understandably get a lot of people excited about the kind of music Fanfarlo might eventually deliver. However, the album itself offers relatively little in the way of memorable songs, and delivers only a frustrating handful of “wow” moments, filling the rest with pleasant but ultimately forgettable tunes.