Icelandic six-piece band Of Monsters and Men bring more than awesome accents to the table with its debut album, “My Head is an Animal.” Led by the talents of two strong but contrasting vocalists, the songs have the cozy comfort of a cabin in a snowstorm and all the indie charm expected from the winners of a battle of the bands called Músiktilraunir. The album reached No. 1 in Iceland and the single “Little Talks,” was well received in the United States. The voice of Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir (try saying that three times fast, or one time correctly) has a sometimes quivering but still commanding presence in each song, complimented by the clear singing of Ragnar “Raggi” Þórhallsson. Plinking keyboard and humming accordion tie in the fluctuating instrumentals for an effective and beautiful first album.
Grade: A
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Contact Morgan Searles at [email protected]