TLOBF Loves… Fanfarlo

Fanfarlo has put some zest back into pop for me, the singles released in 2006/2007 shine out amongst shiny things, your back leg thumps on the floor and your tail waggles, as if they were tickling your belly, and etc when you listen to them. They are a really good guitar pop band with a predilection for horns and violins, basically.

‘Talking Backwards’, is: keyboards, steady kick drum, slightly bunged up nosed vocals, dream-like, after a minute’s gone the guitar and the start of the chorus appear building up until Kablamo! The vocal melody plays with the drums and bass as a release of soft focus pop drives over you.

‘You Are One Of The Outsiders Who Really Understands Us’, is: a repeating guitar figure, fuzzed keyboards, those slightly sloppy vocals, a trumpet line, shuffle and drive drums, audible pick on guitar strings and drawn out vowels. The song ruffles your hair and pulls you along by your hand, skipping and running and laughing through wet spring streets, puddles on the concrete, glowering faces everywhere but on you.

There are less fizz-bang types of songs like ‘In The Trunk’ which backs ‘You Are One Of…’, a sighing track filled with trumpets and violins on top of the basic acoustic strum, a pleasing arrangement that brings a laid back Burt Bacharach feel. Recent single ‘Fire Escape’ shows a wider range, somehow busier and more sophisticated, but retaining an eye crossing-ly good chorus. ‘Devil Town’ which appears on the ‘Fire Escape’ single, is a slow atmosphere rather than a song, the trumpet calling out like in a western with those drowsy vocals in tow.

And of course, of course the lead singer/band leader is Swedish. Obviously. Keep yer eyes peeled fer these guys in ’08, they’ll be playing SXSW among other things. I hope they release an album soon.

video:> Fanfarlo – We Live By The Lake (Black Cab Session)
mp3:> Fanfarlo – Sand & Ice
mp3:> Fanfarlo – You Are One Of The Few Outsiders Who Really Understands Us

See what the guys made of our 20 Questions here.