Icelandic folk band debuts with ‘My Head Is an Animal’
Bjork’s not the only Icelandic musician that rocks.
Of Monsters and Men, a six-piece indie folk outfit hailing from Reykjavik, Iceland, has been making music since 2010, but the group is catching momentum in the United States, thanks to the long-awaited stateside release of its full-length debut album.
The band’s rise to fame came quickly. Nanna Bryndis Hilmarsdottir, one of the group’s vocalists and guitarists, began her music career as a solo artist. Wanting to give audiences a fuller, stronger sound, Hilmarsdottir enlisted the help of her friends for a live gig. She was pleased with the sound, especially her vocal harmonies with Ragnar Iporhallsson, and the group began performing and writing together under the name Of Monsters and Men.
After winning Musiktilraunir, Iceland’s annual battle of the bands competition, the group began touring and working on a full-length album.
“My Head Is an Animal,” which dropped in U.S. stores on April 3, is an eclectic 12-song collection packed with beautiful male/female vocal harmonies, infectious choruses and rich instrumental texture.
The album’s title comes from a line in “Dirty Paws,” the opening song on the disc: “Jumping up and down the floor / My head is an animal.”
Though all of the songs feature Hilmarsdottir and Iporhallsson duetting on lead vocals, the pair is often accompanied by a bombastic, joyful choir of “La la las,” “ooh ooh oohs” and punchy, quick shouts of “Hey!” The singers both have a light, effortless quality to their voices. Hilmarsdottir isn’t a Motown belter or wailing rocker, but her soft soprano is pretty and a perfect match for the band’s folky tunes.
The album’s mood is mostly positive. Tracks like “Love Love Love” and the charming “Sloom” feature singable choruses and feel-good beats that will make you tap your toes.
“Yellow Light,” the closing track on “My Head Is an Animal,” is a slowed-down acoustic duet between the group’s two singers. The lyrics describe a haunting place two lovers must face, but they’ll brave anything as long as they’re together: “Water up to my knees, but sharks are swimming in the sea / Just follow my yellow light and ignore all those big warning signs.”
Picking just one genre to define Of Monsters and Men’s music is a daunting task, as the band rides the wave among several categories, from catchy pop and fast-paced rock to mellow indie melodies. The group has been compared to indie acts like Fleet Foxes, Mumford & Sons and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros.
While these are appropriate observations, even quirkier comparisons can be drawn. “Little Talks,” Of Monsters and Men’s catchy lead single, is tinged with hints of ska as a funky brass hook dominates the instrumental texture. Many songs, especially “King and Lionheart,” have a sing-song vibe not unlike nursery rhymes while other tracks remind listeners of 1960s groups like The Animals and Peter, Paul and Mary. A few tracks might remind listeners of songs by current radio stars Florence + the Machine and Young the Giant.
Of Monsters and Men has a unique sound that America will likely fall in love with. “My Head Is an Animal” is hopefully just the beginning for this talented new band.