It’s impossible not to hear Arcade Fire all over London-based Fanfarlo’s debut album Reservoir; at times, if you didn’t know any better, Fanfarlo might sound like the best Funeral era tribute band you’ve probably never heard of. And though the sound is never as full as Arcade Fire, Reservoir is more whimsical—a dance in the cool rain of a hot summer night, John Cusack in seemingly every movie he’s ever made style—and more personal, forever brimming with the threat of a washout but never quite making it; less catastrophic than it is cathartic and intimate; a hug, a confession, something that just makes you smile. On the family tree of influences, another ancestor is Sigur Ros, who have done a lot in the way of promoting Fanfarlo, and it’s easy to hear why; they share the same rare air atmospheric zip code as their Icelandic contemporaries. Reservoir is the type of album that could be on in an otherwise empty room, and for the first few songs you don’t really think about what you’re listening to—you just listen—but sooner than later you find yourself asking, “Who is this?” and suddenly the room feels full, more comfortable, and you realize without thinking too much about it how easy it is for music—that is good music—to be your companion. In “Runner Up” Simon Bathazar sings, “Stay clear of the runner up/He’s got some tricks he’s not afraid to try.” Fanfarlo may sound a lot like bands you’ve already heard of, but it takes something else to keep you wanting to listen. They’ve got that something else.