Of Monsters And Men - My Head Is An Animal

Zumindest der Bandname passt recht gut zu Halloween: Of Monsters And Men gewannen 2010 den isländischen Bandwettbewerb Músiktilraunir und die Single "Little Talks" stand über mehrere Wochen auf Platz 1 der nationalen Charts. Zur Band zählen (auch wenn die Angaben je nach Quelle zwischen 4 und 6 Mitgliedern variieren) Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir (Gesang, Gitarre), Ragnar Þórhallsson (Gesang, Gitarre), Brynjar Leifsson (Gitarre, Schlagzeug), Kristján Páll Kristjánsson (Bass) sowie Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson (Akkordeon, Piano). Ihr Debütalbum "My Head Is An Animal" erschien bereits in ihrer Heimat im September und ist absolut zu empfehlen.

Obwohl die Band aus Island stammt, müssen die Reviews von "My Head Is An Animal" ohne Querverweise auf Björk oder Sigur Rós auskommen. Auch die Erwähnung von Feen und Elfen verbietet sich und wenn man als Anlehnung an Herkunftsland und Bandnamen unbedingt Kobolde oder Monster erwähnen möchte, dann sollten sie die Namen von Marcus Mumford und seinen Mannen ("King And Lionheart", "Sloom") oder Edward Sharpe und seinen Spießgesellen ("Little Talks", "Dirty Paws") tragen, da sich die Musik von Of Monsters And Men in den gleichen Folk-Rock-Sphären bewegt.
Zwischen treibenden Rockern in voller Band-Besetzung ("Six Weeks") und zarten, dezent arrangierten Balladen ("Love Love Love") ist alles vertreten, was sich das Folk-Herz wünscht. Zudem liefern Nanna und Ragnar sehr schönen Girl/Boy-Wechselgesang zu Akkordeon oder Piano, dazu erschallen in den richtigen Momenten (vermutlich aus dramaturgischen Zwecken häufig am Ende eines Songs) Bläser oder klingen die Lieder mit prägnanten "Lalala"-Chören aus ("Your Bones", "Lakehouse").

My Head Is An Animal starts out with the slow intro of "Dirty Paws" with the line which spawns their album name. About a minute in, the song explodes with a certain joy comparable to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. This song definitely sets an upbeat theme for the album. Following the opener is sure to be a favorite; "King and Lionheart" showcases the dual vocals quite nicely. The kick drum present throughout the verses pulls the listener close and when the chorus crashes in mouths will lift and a smile is sure to be seen. The instrumentation behind the vocals throughout the song (especially the guitar riff) slowly becomes more and more impressive and leads nicely into the toe taping, whistle-along "Numb Bears". The song builds and builds into the catchy chorus filled with la's and exciting trumpets.

"Sloom" is the album's first slow song and the dual vocals really make it beautiful as well do the lyrics (...).
Following "Sloom" is fan favorite "Little Talks". This track needs no explanation. It's more of a, you need to hear it to fully enjoy it, song that will have cause dancing around your house and singing along. "From Finner" is another slower song with a large chorus with drunken vocals and a accordion that will make you sway your head from side to side. Following "From Finner" is another sure-to-be favorite with simple yet beautiful lyrics (...).
After six minutes of group vocals and excellent instrumentation, "Love Love Love" enters the picture. This simple, yet wonderful song about a one sided relationship will sink in to the veins and slow the heart rate. (...)

The dual vocals are removed here and the beauty in Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir's voice is showcased. Her voice somberly yet powerfully takes you through her heartbreak and really connects with the listener. "Your Bones" is another song in which the dual vocals are stripped away momentarily and Ragnar þórhallsson's vocals are thrown in the spotlight. "Lakehouse" is one of my personal favorites. The trumpets really shine throughout the song as well do the vocals of the entire band as they fade slowly but fantastically into album closer "Yellow Light". I'm not one to ruin an album closer so take a chance to listen to it. It's a wonderful closer for an absolutely wonderful album.
(absolutepunk.net)