After being dubbed a hit in their homeland of Iceland, Of Monsters And Men are looking to create similar waves across the rest of the globe. Even without the world-wide release of their album, the band has created a commotion already in the States by selling out most of their North American tour, including their two appearances in New York City. The six-piece takes the girl/boy vocal harmonies of The Xx and matches it with a folky vibe with a subtle indie-pop twist. Much like the album’s artwork, My Head Is An Animal feels like a trip to the beach—cool, calm, and collected.
“Mountain Song” adds a splash of energy into the mellow release with stomping and hand percussion on top of a catchy chorus. Contrasting against its predecessor, “Slow And Steady” is a lavish ballad that shows off Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir’s shining voice along with Seagull sounding guitars to add to the beachy feel. “Little Talks” picks the mood back up with its jazzy beat. Shortly after the upbeat track, the tone of the release is brought back down. Despite its sweet and romantic sound, “Love Love Love” leaves a bitter taste in the air with the cut’s jaded lyrics. My Head Is An Animal closes out with the dreamy “Yellow Light,” which creates the illusion of walking on the shoreline with calming guitars and keys.
Overall, the disc is one strong track after another, without a weak one in sight. After a listen of My Head Is An Animal, Of Monsters And Men are sure to be on your radar if they aren’t already.
In A Word: Marvelous
