My Head is an Animal

Of Monsters and Men

Forming in 2009, Icelandic indie folk band Of Monsters and Men have endured a long build up for their first LP. Hard work and patience has definitely paid off for this indie folk sextet. In 2010, the band entered Músíktilraunir (Iceland’s version of battle of the bands) and won the competition. They would eventually sign with Record Records in 2011 to work on the release of their debut album. By September 2011, Of Monsters and Men finally released My Head is an Animal in Iceland. It quickly topped the album and singles charts with lead single “Little Talks.” The aforementioned single even gained airplay in Philadelphia, received an immensely positive response, and has quickly been gaining momentum on various other radio stations across the U.S.

After signing with Universal and releasing an EP in December, Of Monsters and Men will finally release My Head is an Animal worldwide on April 3^rd. Fortunately, I was able to get a copy of the record about a month ago. After first hearing (and immediately enjoying) “Little Talks” last fall, these guys have been on my radar as an up and coming band. I’ll admit that before listening to their debut album, I was very nervous that they wouldn’t live up to the hype and that I was putting them on way too big of a pedestal. Having listened to My Head is an Animal many, many times, I can honestly say that this is one of the best albums to be released in a long time.

The core of what makes this album so beautiful is the vocal duality of singers Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar þórhallsson (don’t ask me how to pronounce their names). They compliment each other so well and nail every harmony on every song. Neither one of them tries to outperform the other, but rather focus on singing to each, which gives the whole album a very intimate feel. Album opener “Dirty Paws” highlights this perfectly with a slow build up followed up by chants, cymbal crashes, and snare drums. The following song, “King and Lionheart” is a potential single with its catchy chorus, thudding kickdrums, and masterful accordion work. “Numb Bears” will have you whistling along with its chants and even catchier accordion hooks. We get an acoustic break with “Sloom” that further highlights the harmony between the lead singers. Afterward, we finally break into “Little Talks”, which is still my favorite song on the album. The lyrics hint at a failed relationship, the chorus is unforgettable, and every instrument works together to create a nearly flawless song. If this track doesn’t hook you from the start, then there’s no hope in salvaging the rest of the album for you.

 “From Finner” is a modern day immigrant song, celebrating life in a new home. Surely this will apply to their future world tours and warm reception they have received these last few months. “Six Weeks” finds the band more in touch with their mythical side, singing of fighting off animals and sharing a meal with a wolf. “Love Love Love” provides a nice interlude with a strong lullaby-esque ballad about unreciprocated love with Nanna flying solo on vocals (for the first time on the album). As she belts out lyrics like “‘Cause you, love, love, love when you know I can’t love”, you can’t help but sympathize with whomever she’s singing about. “Your Bones” pulls another solo showcase (save for one final harmony toward the end), this time focusing on Ragnar. He is accompanied by a marching combo of snare/kickdrums. The lighter-waving worthy chorus reminds me of something you’d hear at the end of an old conquistador film. “Lakehouse” is an all out belter featuring the whole band in harmony and all instruments at their most proficient that builds up until slowing down toward the end. This transitions well into “Yellow Light” which brings the album back down into the lullaby-esque rhythm previously heard on “Love Love Love.” As it fades out, hidden acoustic track “The Sinking Man” takes it home on a mellow note that is a perfect ending to the album.

Though their sound may not be all that original (think the musicianship and dual vocalists of Arcade Fire combined with the festivity and bliss of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros), Of Monsters and Men are able to craft a nearly flawless album that only gets better with each listen. Though they have yet to release My Head is an Animal worldwide, I’m already looking forward to seeing what they will follow it up with. Do yourself a favor and listen to this album as soon as you can. It will definitely be on my best of the year.

Recommended tracks: “Dirty Paws”, “King and Lionheart”, “Numb Bears”, “Little Talks”, “Love Love Love”, “Your Bones”