Fanfarlo Bring Lush Indie-Pop to SXSW

Straight-up rock bands have it easy at SXSW compared to a group like Fanfarlo, whose baroque chamber-pop sound requires a more exacting and time-consuming setup. Put the London-based band on a bill with similar acts and it was no surprise that they went on later than their scheduled start time Wednesday night. Also no surprise: it was worth the wait.

A sizable crowd had collected by the time Fanfarlo went on. The group played lush, lilting songs blending acoustic guitar, violin, trumpet, mandolin, glockenspiel, keyboards, bass, percussion and handclaps. Frontman Simon Balthazar shared vocals with his bandmates, yielding stunning harmonies from violinist Cathy Lucas on 'Harold T. Wilkins, or How to Wait a Very Long Time,' the latest single from Fanfarlo's debut LP, last year's 'Reservoir.'

The album displays a certain deliberate air, and though some of the more orchestral flourishes called to mind Beirut or A Hawk and a Hacksaw -- groups that revel in the rustic sounds of vintage eastern European folk -- Fanfarlo retained a more accessible pop sensibility on stage, particularly in the jangling guitar and low humming bass of 'Finish Line.'