Album Review: Of Monster & Men - My Head Is An Animal

It seems there are places throughout the world that have a knack of breeding amazing music scenes, and in turn amazing bands. Atlanta, New York, the state of California, Nashville, Montreal, Perth… and if you're looking for something soul-stirring and other-worldly, Iceland. Of Monsters & Men are a six-piece from Reykjavik, Iceland and, if for you Iceland calls to mind the likes of Sigur Rós and Björk, Of Monsters & Men probably come as a bit of a surprise.

It's folky, whimsical, full of indie charm and something you'd likely expect has come straight out of Canada or the States; in fact, they've got a pretty distinct Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros vibe going for them on this, their first full-length, titled My Head Is An Animal. The melody of first track Dirty Paws sounds very much like Sharpe's Home Is Wherever I'm With You, and the girl/boy vocal stylings seem unaffected by any kind of Nordic accent as singers Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Þórhallsson croon away in perfect English.

Single Little Talks is a good example of what one can expect from this record – a brilliant upbeat pop track full of horns, accordions and call and response vocals. The video reveals a little more of their origins too through its use of old timey-looking beasts and quirky animations. On one hand, it's a little disheartening to hear an Icelandic band sound familiar, but on the other, it's good to see Iceland are most certainly capable of matching the rest of the western world at what they do best as well.