I hate comparing stuff to Neutral Milk Hotel. It’s like comparing light bulbs to the sun. But with their ability to write beguiling melodies over the most bog-standard of chord sequences, and an unmistakeable penchant for the judicious use of rousing, bittersweet horns, that’s exactly who Fanfarlo bring to mind on a good day.
Sure, there’s none of the plangent strum and visionary wail that made NMH so, well, visionary, but they’re a sweet enough confection in their own right. ‘Outsiders…’, then, is a low-key delight, with crescendo-ing horns vaguely reminiscent of The Concretes’ kitschy Motown stomp ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’ and drums that even threaten funkiness (or at least tactfully imply it over a nice cup of tea). I’d call it a heart-warming affair except for the hard-to-discern lyrics, which are about alienation and violence, apparently. But then they said that about the Cardigans.
B-side ‘In The Trunk’ is similarly pleasing, with a swoonsome chorus, glockenspiel and frankly manipulative strings all cloying away in the mix to ensure there isn’t a dry eye in the house by the end. Scores points, too, for sounding a bit like the impeccably-raised offspring of Arcade Fire and Belle and Seb.
Set the controls for the heart of 2006
I'm feeling mean this morning for some reason. This feels like last year's crop of harmless overseas popsters. How am I supposed to appreciate this in a world ruled by Jamie T's high-speed freak-outs and our own New Western Power-folk?
Really good band
but, as with 99.9% of NMH comparisons, this one is totally inaccurate.
agreed
love this song though - probably a 9 from me
This band will
Do great things I hope, This song is one of the best things I've heard in ages... as is the video, but i watched that (you know what i mean)