Fanfarlo - Rooms Filled With Light

Fanfarlo - Esoteric London-based indie outfit fronted by founder Simon Balthazar revels in adventurous and intricately textured alt/pop quirks -- imagine if David Byrne had graduated recently from some British art school...sleek and sophisticated -- let's call it "twee free" -- sophomore album follows up the '09 Reservoir, an album we described as "appealingly ramshackle with a buoyant, kitchen-sink charm...(translating) 80's influenced 'new wave' pop with a decidedly progressive, smartsy, artsy bent" // Release: Rooms Filled With Light (February 28, Atlantic/Canvasback) // Sounds like: over-caffeinated poly-rhythms are deeply embedded in the Fanfarlo DNA, percolating beats and Philip Glass-ian minimalism merging into jumpy, edgy chamber pop ripe for future improvisation...fortunately, the melodies are equally deft and nimble, breathless choruses and hook-laden lines sinking happily beneath the glittering instrumental surface...

Quote: "There's been a very inspiring crossover lately where people like Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Arvo Part are filtering into the world of pop music. I think we've been trying to use the orchestral parts of Fanfarlo more in that vein. For the actual songs themselves, they have a lot more to do with things from the late 70's and early 80's, things like David Bowie, Talking Heads, even Fleetwood Mac..." - Simon Balthazar // What we like: While the music has it's share of "serious" progressive flavors, the cerebral never dominates the exuberant spirit and jittery kick of songs like "Replicate" or the chameleon moods and enexpected turns of the brilliant "Shiny Things" (video below)...the sprinting "Deconstruction" is one of those songs that seems written as the soundtrack for a 2am highway drive...

Fanfarlo - "Replicate" (from Rooms Filled With Light)

Fanfarlo - "Deconstruction" (from Rooms Filled With Light)