Fanfarlo

If Fanfarlo’s Reservoir sounds meticulous, it’s because the London quartet spent its first few years buffing its sound to a sparkle. The band’s 2009 debut was preceded by a quartet of polished 7-inch releases, and its practiced assurance is evident in a blend of stout theatrical carriage and supple, baroque sophistication. Swedish frontman Simon Balthazar’s wavering tenor recalls David Byrne, but the band sounds more like the Walkmen swooning to the crisp warmth of the National. Some of Reservoir‘s moody, cinematic tone can be traced to producer Peter Katis, who has worked on three of the National’s releases as well as discs by Interpol and Longwave and the Mercury Rev masterpiece, Deserter’s Songs. Multi-instrumentalists Cathy Lucas and Leon Beckenham add violin, trumpet and glockenspiel accents, and mandolin to re-create Fanfarlo’s sumptuous recorded sound onstage.