Far from home, but not from fans, British alt-folk-pop band Fanfarlo hopped the Pond to share its melodic, eclectic folk sounds with an intimate crowd at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, Calif., in support of its latest release Let’s Go Extinct. However, rather than overwhelm the audience with new and less familiar music, the group’s set predominantly featured songs from their previous two albums, the 2009 debut Reservoir and 2012’s Room Filled With Light.
With a broad spectrum of instruments incorporated into its music—which includes a violin, mandolin, glockenspiel, saxophone, trumpet and musical saw, to name a few—Fanfarlo adds a variety of sounds and styles to each song, giving it options to spread throughout their set without everything sounding the same.
This was evident from the start by playing one song from each of its first three albums to kick off the night, showcasing the band’s evolution with each release. From the uplifting, brass-heavy “Ghosts” off its first album to the more recent 80’s electronica feel of “Life In The Sky,” Fanfarlo continued to weave in-and-out of old and new, keeping the music fresh throughout the set.
With the crowd engaged and the band sounding tight, vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Simon Balthazar appeared relaxed and comfortable on stage, but that may have been partly due to the wine. Rather than pour a glass and risk spilling it on stage, Balthazar cut to the chase and swigged straight from the bottle, sans paper bag.
Whether it was the booze talking or he really felt it, Balthazar told the crowd “this has been the best show in a very long time” before closing the night on a high note with the popular, carefree number “The Walls Are Coming Down.” With the tinkering on keys, accompanying trumpet and violin, body-swaying melodies and catchy chorus, the song takes on a feeling of euphoria, making it a perfect send-off for fans.
The Italian-born, London-based duo of Marina Cristofalo and Lisa Masia, aka Lilies on Mars, opened the night with a dark, dreamy set of electric-pop. The two played amid a dark, hazy backdrop of fog and lights, creating a perfect atmosphere fitting of their music.
Most of the set had a lo-fi, shoegazing feel to it, but that all changed when the pair was joined on stage by a few members of Fanfarlo for the last song. With the addition of live instruments to the mix—namely drums—Lilies on Mars delivered a much fuller, complete sound that would have served well for their entire set.
Setlist
Ghosts
Life in the Sky
Deconstruction
Cell Song
I’m a Pilot
Bones
Luna
Vostok
Comets
Tunguska
Landlocked
A Distance
Harold T. Wilkins
Encore:
Let’s Go Extinct
The Walls Are Coming Down
