My Head Is An Animal

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.

Great music. Great sound quality. This album has most of my favorite songs by this artist. Nothing really to complain about. Does it confuse anyone else how the singers of this band seem to lose their accents while singing?

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"

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...

To be honest right now this is one of my favorite bands to listen to. The CD hasn't left my car. I like the lyrics and the sound of the vocals and the instrumentals. Overall it is an amazing CD. However I must admit it all does sound, for the most part, the same. That doesn't mean that it gets old fast or if you heard one you have heard it all, it simply means there isn't any real change in sound. It just makes me think there is no viable future for their music if they keep it like this. They reuse lots of things throughout their songs for example the use of saying "HEY!" in between verses and such. I see how this sounds like I wouldn't like the album but I really do, I think they have a great sound. In my opinion it just needs a bit more variety then just messing with the tempo of songs. Overall I would suggest that you buy it or at least give it a listen to. Little Talks isn't the best song by far so give it a whirl. You won't regret it.

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 feel in love with OMAM (it's a bit of a band name to spell out!) when I first heard Little Talks on the radio, on a little drive out back in February. It was so rich both vocally and instrumentally, and, well, full of life and full of love. It was a matter of months later before it crossed my mind to get my mitts on a copy of the album, and what a decision, too! I'm so glad I did. This entire album is such a little privilege to have and to listen to. It seems the gamut of emotions is run over the course of its playing, from sadness to joy and their relatives too, and it just plain sounds bloody good. Forgive me if I step out of line with my comparisons and labels here, but it's a beautifully folksy sound at work here, and it no doubt brings to mind Mumford and Sons. It's music to open your heart right up to -- I dare you. It's most frequently used as the soundtrack to my downtime, or driving, or conducting myself in the kitchen. Little Talks stands up beautifully to the rest of the tracks, too; other heartfelt favorites include Dirty Paws (a textbook way to open an album like this), Mountain Sound (that chorus!), From Finner, Your Bones, and Lakehouse. For starters. My Head Is An Animal, however, is really to be treated more than a sum of its parts, song inclinations aside. It's an overall hour of something savory for the ears and the mind and heart.

This is an amazing CD and I'm so glad it came with the AutoRip and I could listen to it immediately, As a whole it's just great and I can't stop listening to it, every song on it is a good song so i never skip any of them and just leave it on repeat. Their sound is a little folky but it also has this mystical almost magical feel to it. Great vocals, lyrics and music this group just has a really great sound. I love listening to it all the time of course but especially when I'm writing it's inspiring. I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone, I literally haven't listened to anything else since I bought this it's that good. Seriously buy it. It's totally worth it.

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.

Ich möchte nur ganz kurz fassen, denn es gibt ja zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt über 90 Bewertungen..... Als ich die Single LITTLE TALKS im Radio hörte u. nicht wußte wer da singt, war es das 1. mal, daß ich mir die Uhrzeit u. Sender merkte u. dadurch auf den Gruppennamen OF MEN AND MONSTERS kam. Nie gehört zuvor u. da mir das Lied so gut gefiel, fackelte ich nicht lange u. hab mir gleich das Album gekauft u. wurde kein bißchen enttäuscht. Daß es mal wieder eine Gruppe aus dem hohen Norden war, bestätigt mich nur aufs Neue, daß für mich die beste Musik (fast) immer aus dem Norden kommt: Schweden, Norwegen, Island, Dänemark. Besonders das Zusammenspiel der beiden Stimmen, die eingängigen Melodien, die erfrischend u. fröhlich klingen, das macht dieses Album aus. Sorry, daß ich zuerst dachte, es würde vielleicht LENA mit SASHA singen, als ich LITTLE TALKS zum ersten male hörte. Man möge mir den Vergleich nicht übel nehmen..... Jedenfalls kann ich das Album wärmstens empfehlen, irgendwie auch zeitlos, so daß ich es immer u. immer wieder mal gerne höre, mehr kann man von einem Album kaum erwarten. Falls jemand meine Bewertungen lesen sollte, ein Musiktip ebenfalls aus Island, das ist ARNDIS HALLA, the voice of Apassionata. Man könnte sagen, sie ist die "Sarah Brightman" der Feuerinsel Island u. sie singt einfach klasse, ein Mischung aus Pop u. Klassik