26. Fanfarlo – Reservoir
Andy: 15 :: Dave: Unranked
When listening to Fanfarlo’s debut album, Reservoir, it feels as though the band is constantly on the verge of something far more grand. That’s not intended to make the album sound like a disappointment, because it is anything but. It’s a melodic, poppy release that often descends (ascends?) into expansive, flighty jams, and is one that shows a lot of a promise for a relatively young band.
It’d be easy to label them as a kind of bastard offspring of David Byrne and Arcade Fire, but Fanfarlo’s take on chamber pop retains an air of individuality. Reservoir stomps and soars and slows to a crawl, waving the flags of their influences proudly. While that may brand the group unoriginal to some, Reservoir is as weighty as what they draw upon, and is a wholly enjoyable experience.
Fanfarlo – Ghosts (mp3) from Reservoir
25. Dan Auerbach – Keep It Hid
Andy: 12 :: Dave: Unranked
Dan Auerbach’s general singing snarl is dressed up a bit on Keep It Hid, his first venture into solo territory. (Fellow Keys member Patrick Carney also had a non-Keys release this year as well as a part of the aptly named band Drummer, but I didn’t buy that one.) Keep It Hid is more a vehicle for Auerbach’s guitar than vox, however, and he pairs it up with additional textures, tempos and times. The resulting album is a bluesy, southern success.
Auerbach can go from primal to comforting and back again in the span of three songs, and each sounds equally as natural as the other. He’s at his best when he sticks to the straightforward rock, but it’s encouraging to hear him expand on the work he’s been doing for the past decade with The Black Keys.
Dan Auerbach – Street Walkin’ (mp3) from Keep It Hid
