When I first heard Arcade Fire's 'Funeral' back in the summer of 2004 I (like most others who struck upon this low-key classic) was instantly floored by just how fucking good it was. With it's cathartic, beautiful songs, it re-imagined a sound which had been used by bands such as Broken Social Scene and Neutral Milk Hotel but had never before been perfected. It remains to this day an album with which I can find not a single fault and ranks amongst such lofty brethren as Radiohead's 'Kid A', Miles Davis's 'In A Silent Way' and Jeff Buckleys 'Grace' as an album which (if given the chance) I would award 10's across the board to. Little did I know at the time however that it was to become such a runaway success, catapulting the band out of the indie ghetto and into a mainstream that seemed to welcome them with open arms. On that warm August afternoon 5 years ago now, this is an eventuality I deemed so unlikely as to not even give it a moments thought.

It happened though, the band eclipsed their humble beginnings and within months their influence had left it's mark on a large handful of the world's fledgling indie bands. Fast forward to 2009 and Fanfarlo's debut album finds the London five-piece experimenting with the same tools that made 'Funeral' such a success, no doubt hoping to replicate some of it's magic. They are not 100% successful, but that this album actually holds together remarkably well on it's own terms should act as a boost for the bands confidence. 'Reservoir' might not be a particularly diverse or exciting record, but it's a very easy record to fall in love with.

Aside from the fact that I kept expecting it to burst into Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing', opener 'I'm A Pilot' opens the album in an elegant fashion; with clattering percussion and an incessant piano riff. The singer (credited only as "Amos") does his best Win Butler impression over weeping strings and sparse, twinkly glockenspiel that gently builds in stature until we reach the climactic chorus line "That's all I believe in". 'Ghosts', 'The Walls Are Coming Down' and 'Finish Line' pull very similar tricks but do so in such a charming way it's hard not to at least appreciate the bands song-craft. There are more pacey efforts to be found amidst the beatific sky-gazing too with 'Luna' and 'Harold T.Wilkins' serving as two of the albums incendiary highlights. It might be true that the band only has 2 gears, but they work both so well it's hard to complain.

After a few listens it really starts to fall into place, the songs might all sound similar on the surface but there are little touches that give them all their own identity. Be it 'Comet's mournful horn section, 'Drowning Men's beautiful, understated outro or 'If It's Growing's achingly sad chorus. There are moments in every song that result in the album adding up to far more than just the sum of it's parts. Special mention has to go to 'Fire Escape', a truly remarkable pop song with a chorus as strong as anything Arcade Fire have put out from 'Neon Bible' onwards. It has the kind of hooks and commercial potential you'd associate with a MOR indie band such as The Maccabees but imbues the sound with a real soaring spirit. Much the same can also be said for a great deal of the other 9 tracks here too (I'll choose not to register 'Good Morning Midnight' as a song in it's own right as to my ears it works better as an outro to 'Finish Line').

Fanfarlo's identity might well be a stolen one but it obviously suits them and regardless of the instrumentation, the arrangements or the general atmosphere created by the album these stand out as 10 glorious pop songs that will no doubt grow more irresistible with age.

Tracklisting:-
1. I'm A Pilot
2. Ghosts
3. Luna
4. Comets
5. Fire Escape
6. The Walls Are Coming Down
7. Drowning Men
8. If It Is Growing
9. Harold T. Wilkins or How To Wait For A Very Long Time
10. Finish Line
11. Good Morning Midnight

Recommended:-
I'm A Pilot, Luna, Fire Escape, The Walls Are Coming Down, Drowning Men, If It Is Growing, Harold T.Wilkins