My Head Is An Animal

In 2010, Of Monsters and Men won Músiktilraunir, Iceland's nationwide battle-of-the-bands competition. For those that may not think of this as an impressive feat, keep in mind Iceland is the country that has given us the likes of Sigur Rós and Björk. Drawing early comparisons to Arcade Fire, Mumford and Sons, and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Of Monsters and Men is an alternative folk sextet led by the vocal pair Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Þórhallsson. After a race between labels to sign the band, Of Monsters and Men landed with Universal Music Group and now their highly anticipated debut is finally here. Considering the recent success of debut records by Mumford and Sons as well as The Head and The Heart, fans' expectations for Of Monsters and Men are understandably high. With a wide variety of instruments including brass, accordion, glockenspiel, melodica, piano, and guitar filling any of the gaps left by the stellar vocal harmonies, Of Monsters and Men have clearly latched onto a winning formula within their genre. The two lead vocalists could both easily carry an album on their own, but it is the blending of their voices that sets Of Monsters and Men apart from any act that could be considered their competition. There are many moments, however, when one of the two voices is given the lead. The result is as much a pleasant change of pace as it is a means for building the overall emotion of the song. For instance, on "King and Lionheart," Nanna takes the opening of each verse alone, but Ragnar's voice is gradually blended in more and more. The instrumentation of the track grows substantially behind the voices as well so by the time Nanna and Ragnar are both harmonizing every word together, the energy of the entire song has flourished. Similar to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' debut, "My Head is an Animal" remains far more positive and upbeat than Mumford and Sons' "Sigh No More." The album's opener, "Dirty Paws," is a song about war, but when that war is between bees, birds, and furry animals, it's hard not to smile as you listen. With a chorus of "la la las" and the occasional chant of "hey!" the band practically forces their audience to sing along. Even the album's slowest moments have aspects that move the music forward and keep it from ever feeling tired. The track "Slow and Steady" lives up to its name in pace, but a heartbeat kick drum accompanied by a shimmering, reverb-laden electric guitar adds just enough to the harmonized vocal work to keep the five minute track from becoming labeled as filler. The debut single from "My Head Is an Animal" is "Little Talks" and has been making its way around U.S. radio waves since August of last year. Fans of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros will quickly hear similarities to the song "Home" thanks to the call and response between the two singers, the remaining members' chants during the chorus, and most importantly, the trumpets. Of Monsters and Men are well versed in the success of their predecessors, but there is still plenty of imagination in their lyrics and blend of instruments which keeps "My Head Is an Animal" from ever feeling like a copy. With music that builds such as many of the songs on "My Head Is an Animal" do, anticipation is an element that bands often overlook. In some cases, a band will just add to the number of instruments or increase the volume without building any anticipation of things to come. The music can still be enjoyable, but if the moves are predictable or there is nothing to surprise the listener, it's harder to make the song stand out. On "Dirty Paws" and "Love Love Love," the band uses pauses in the music just long enough to make the listener wonder what happened. It's amazing how such a simple gesture can so greatly affect a song. Following these pauses, everything feels bigger and bolder. Although this technique is more common in a live setting, to hear it on a recording makes the first listen especially exciting. "My Head Is an Animal" is a fun record. That alone deems it worthy of a listen, but there is far more to it than mostly positive lyrics and sing-along choruses. There is also a certain musical chemistry between the members of the band that finds its way into the recording. The harmonies, not just between Nanna and Ragner but the entire band, are extraordinary. Every voice, both vocal and instrumental is given its chance to shine and when they're needed, reverb and delay effects never grow to a point of distraction. Like Mumford & Sons' "Sigh No More," "My Head Is an Animal" introduces a band experienced beyond their years. To release a record like this at any point in a musical career is exceptional, but to release it as a debut is astounding. There are still plenty of records to look forward to in 2012, but look for "My Head Is an Animal" to make many "best of" lists come December. Track Suggestion: "Little Talks"

The vinyl edition of My Head Is an Animal by Of Monsters and Men arrived in very good condition and sounds excellent. Clean pressing, great warmth and dynamics, perfect for listening to the album from start to finish. This is a great OMAM record, full of meaningful songs and a unique sound that really transports you to Iceland. The blend of folk, atmosphere and emotion makes the album feel like a journey rather than just a collection of tracks. Every song is good, but highlights include Dirty Paws, Lakehouse, Six Weeks, and King and Lionheart. It’s one of those albums that invites you to sit down, slow down, and listen all the way through. Highly recommended for fans of the band and for anyone looking for a vinyl record with soul.

Having this album on vinyl is such a treasure! I have loved it since it's debut. It sounds just wonderful in this format. Wish I had it sooner!

From the unfamiliar, mysterious lyrics to the singers' Icelandic accents, and the wall of music that flows from this band, I really enjoy listening to them. I actually prefer the live videos on YouTube, for they bring out the characters of the individual band members, and also allow them to tinker around the edges on some songs, like when trumpeter Ragnhildur Gunnarsdóttir alters her playing from one event to the next. The lead singers, Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Þórhallsson. harmonize well together, and sing their solo parts with passion and joy. I like the fact that at certain parts of most of the songs, all of the band members sing, such as on choruses of songs. I also enjoy the many "Heys!" and "Lalalas" thrown into the mix. The CD, being a studio version, is a bit more clean and straightforward. What I mean by that is that the songs are wonderful, but seem to lack the feeling and joy apparent in the live performances. This band generally plays in a tight way, all of the instruments either supporting the others in what I think of as a wall of music coming at you, or else the guiatarists or the trumpeter weave their beautiful music in and out of the drums, acoustic guitars, and keyboards -- or sometimes, an accordion. Well done, guys and gals!

I discovered this band listening to a free stream of their album and it caught my attention pretty quickly. They've been compared to Arcade Fire and I think that's a fair comparison. However, I also find that there's a thumping or driving nature to some of their music that reminds me of recent songs by The Head and the Heart. Lastly, their harmonies and catchy melodies remind me of The New Pornographers. The female singer sounds like a less-yodel-y version of Dolores O'Riordan from the Cranberries. There's a male-only series of songs on here that sometimes take on a Fleet Foxes kind of vocal (although not muted the way the production of their songs are). Comparisons aside, this is a collection of catchy songs with no dud in the bunch. It's not quite a 5-star album for me, but it's really solid. Some of the choruses are memorable, but the album really shines more so through good musicianship and good melodies. There are fewer hooks than some power-pop bands, but the album maintains a consist set of melodies throughout and that makes it a keeper. The album's first two tracks, "Dirty Paws" and "King and Lionheart" each have a well-paced and energetic feel to them and are stand-outs. Sixth track "Little Talks" features alternating male and female vocals and the most memorable chorus of the lot. "Six Weeks" follows and when paired with "Little Talks" there's a buoyant and delicious middle to the album. The ride to the end is still wonderful, made especially so with the sorrowful "Your Bones" and the sweet "Lakehouse". Iceland has produced much interesting music over the years, but this is the most welcome export I've encountered so far. The animal theme is carried throughout which really makes this feel like a complete album.

I saw this group perform on Tonight show...I was sucked in by "Little Talks". After checking them out online, I bought their CD. Let me just say...they are a unique group that puts out some great songs. No duds in this album. "Little Talks" probably still my favorite, but several more are close. At first, the girl singers voice seemed a bit strange...kinda weird the way she chopped her words...thought maybe it was an Icelandic thing...?? But, the more I listened the more I started to appreciate her uniqueness. I think all the songs where the guy singer and her go back and forth are my favorites. Their voices create a kind of Synergy where together they are quite amazing. I have continued to listen to this CD over and over and I have yet to tire of it...which is a key for me as to how good the music is...I did the same thing with the last CD from Coldplay. Before you think I'm a music lightweight...my favorite musician is Neil Young...so, my street cred is legit...:) I think the criticism from those saying all the songs sound the same is lame...they don't...there is a quality and a theme to the songs, but this is a CD...think Beatles Sgt. Pepper's album...themes are a good thing. I will be waiting to see how their next CD plays out...hope they stand the test of time...

The product arrived perfectly, it was fast, the album contains 2 LPs with two sides each.

CD sounds great, good overall mix master, as warm as you get for digital and not the vinyl copy. Great songs.

Un gran disco de una gran banda. Todos sus temas son buenos.

Show demais

Am enjoying the current wave of upbeat folk and Of Monsters & Men is a great band with good camaradarie that comes through in their songs. Have seen them live a few times now and never tire of listening to them or watching them. Love this album - poetic and upbeat. Great songs - all of them! My fave is King and Lionheart but each one is a quality track - that I can personally listen to over and over again. I'm a bit old-school and enjoy listening to an album in its entirety and I can do that with this album without any urge to skip forward. Glad to see they're getting the recognition they deserve.

I was sceptical purchasing this after reading other user reviews on Amazon and Discogs. It seems that many other customers in the past had issues with bad quality LP pressings and mislabelled sides... I decided to risk purchasing it despite that as I absolutely love the album and it has a significant meaning and nostalgia from my childhood. Very happy to say that the issues other customers have experienced is not the case with my LPs. Everything is labelled correctly and the quality of the Vinyl pressing/sound is absolutely stellar! My best guess is that the dodgy records were an old pressing from years ago, the bugs of which have now been fully worked out. Other users and myself from recent years have gotten an absolutely beautiful Vinyl from an absolutely beautiful album! Very very happy with this purchase.

素敵な音楽ばかりで単純に驚いた。 個人的には、"mountain sound"はキャッチーかつ疾走感を感じられる良曲だと思う。