Fanfarlo

Unlike its out-there North American counterpart, the UK's nouveau folk movement holds onto bygone tropes, incorporating elements of Americana and troubadour balladry to create an amiable alternative to post-Libertines guitar rock. While peers Noah and the Whale, Laura Marling and Mumford and Sons don't shy away from heart-adorned sleeves, Fanfarlo's debut eschews general earnestness, opting instead for confident folk pop with hints of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and the Shout Out Louds-style indie rock. Throughout, producer Peter Katis's (Interpol, the National) talent for managing opaque instrumentation lets the band seamlessly blend guitars, glockenspiels, clarinets, mandolins, keys and well-placed horns (see the sublime trumpet on "Finish Line") into boisterous, moving concoctions. Highlight "The Walls are Coming Down" turns an acoustic-driven, horn-friendly arrangement into one of the catchiest and most arresting songs of the year. Like its standout track, Reservoir is a rollicking, infectious, ebullient record.