Of Monsters & Men

Pop Matters Best 2012 on Of Monsters & Men

#39 This Icelandic band’s ebullience is pervasive and contagious, with an unbridled energy that translates incredibly well from a live setting to this album (a slightly reworked version from 2011’s release in Iceland)...full article here

Sputnikmusic on Of Monsters & Men

#41 Whenever someone says “Don’t listen to a word I say”, you can bet your bottom dollar that they really want you to listen to them. But just in case you were to take Of Monsters and Men too literally, the Icelandic outfit beg for your attention with a follow-up “Hey” that is an addictive snap back to reality...full article here

TheOwlMag on Of Monsters & Men

Of Monsters and Men My Head Is An Animal [Republic]

This Icelandic outfit offer a slice of indie-pop heaven with joyous, folk-influenced tunes. As an ensemble of 6, Of Monsters and Men bring diverse sounds and inspirations to their music, which is somewhere at the crossroads of Fleet Foxes, Mumford and Sons, and Jinja Safari. Their sound is blissfully jangly keys, milk and honey male-female vocals, harmonica, and uplifting brass interludes.

Comparisons to Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros are understandable, but they offer a more accessible debut than the former. Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Þórhallsson’s lead vocals are refreshingly distinctive and combine for pretty harmonies and rousing sing-a-long choruses that will have you reaching for a tambourine and joining in.

The well-known “Little Talks” is a bittersweet tune of loss, that despite melancholy lyrics remains upbeat. It is easy to hear why it is the 3rd most viewed KEXP in-studio live recording on YouTube with its catchy piano riff and stirring choral refrain. The opening “Kings and Lionhearts” is in the same vein, and one of the album highlights, as is “From Finner.” This is just to scratch the surface of an album that has no fillers to speak of.

Of Monsters and Men create infectious indie-pop laced with darling melodies, and it is no wonder they won Músiktilraunir (Iceland’s battle of the bands competition). We are just starting to sink our teeth into My Head Is An Animal, and suggest you do yourself a favor and get across this band now as they are truly a delight.

Guardian UK's New Band Of The Day on Of Monsters & Men

With their lusty and loud brand of stadium folk, this Icelandic band are a crashing, carousing dead-cert for summer success Hometown: Reykjavik, Iceland. The lineup: Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir (vocals), Ragnar "Raggi" Þórhallsson (vocals, guitar), Brynjar Leifsson (guitar), Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson (drums), Árni Guðjónsson (piano, accordion) and Kristján Páll Kristjánsson (bass). The background: Last month, the debut album by Of Monsters and Men reached No 6 in the US, the highest ever position for an Icelandic band. That's what's being said anyway, and if it's true it's pretty impressive considering how big a deal the Sugarcubes – who once undertook something called an Alternative Monsters of Rock Tour there with PiL and New Order – and Sigur Rós – who headlined the Hollywood Bowl – were at their peak in the States. Their self-released debut single Little Talks didn't do badly, selling 400,000 copies and receiving three million views on YouTube, obviously a paltry figure compared to the 11 million for yesterday's....more at guardian.co.uk

PASTE's Best of What's Next on Of Monsters & Men

It all began back in 2010, when Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir decided to add more members to her then-solo project.   more at pastemagazine.com