Elisa Bray
Fanfarlo are one of those bands you wish you discovered. But on this occasion, David Bowie got there first, after he heard their second single, "You Are One Of The Few Outsiders Who Really Understands Us", on Marc Ricley's 6Music show and put them in his "top 10 best new music".
In their short but near perfect set supporting Tunng, from the opening July single'Fire Escape' which brings together Grandaddy-esque swirly synths, trumpet solo, violin and acoustic guitar, Fanfarlo fill the room with warm summery soundscapes.
Led by their unassuming and relocated Swedish singer Simon, the London-based six-piece push guitar to the periphery in favour of the orchestrated indie-folk-pop of US acts Beirut and Sufjan Stevens.
Both musically and visually they are compelling; each musician seems to be the master of more than one instrument - throughout the set, Cathy turns to violin, keys, mandolin and glockenspiel while Leon constantly alternates between trumpet and keys.
"We Live By The Lake" has rich instrumentation, which calls to mind Sufjan Stevens. "The Reservoir" is no less lush.
But each of their songs is a melodic gem. Fanfarlo's shiny indie-pop is so luminescent we could almost be fooled into thinking that it's summetime.