blackleatherbookshelf | Oct. 1st, 2012

Iceland Folk Pop,
3 Out of 5 Stars

Of Monsters and Men and "My Head is An Animal" is a folkish collective that comes more to the pop side than the folk side, favoring big hooks, Hey Hey and La La La choruses and harmonies that recall (for me anyway) 10,000 Maniacs. There's a lot of fairytale inspired lyrics, like on "Dirty Paws" and "Your Bones," with foot pounding drums and vocal interplay. They sing with a happy enthusiasm, yet at times the topic is sadness - like "Dirty Paws'" epic battle of the birds Vs the bees and a sky colored "Black by the killing machines." They may not be as cold as Bjork, but they sure do try.

But at the same time, there's a joy to the album. "Mountain Sound" has a classic pop vibe to it, and "Six Weeks" will bring Arcade Fire to mind. I caught them at this year's Newport Folk Festival and they made a gleeful racket on stage, with the crowd La La-ing to the band's every bouncy chorus. The earthy sound of the debut is even more open and enthusiastic onstage than on record (I admit, I bought the disc after seeing them as opposed to knowing the songs beforehand), and was surprised at just how well the show translated to recording. That's a feat not too many bands can manages, and the six kids pull it off nicely.

Recommended for fans of Arcade Fire, Edward Sharpe and 10,000 Maniacs.