Icelandic band Of Monsters And Men delivered over an hour of infectious folk pop fusion on their inaugural voyage to Melbourne.
Of Monsters And Men, Photo Ros O'Gorman
Entering the venue to the sight of impressive merchandise stand tote bags, it was clear Melbourne’s Corner Hotel was at a sold out capacity with fans clamoring for an evening of unique indie folk. As the six members of Of Monsters And Men arrived onto a dimly illuminated stage, they wasted no time breaking into opening number Dirty Paws. The track, a standout on the groups debut album My Head is an Animal, built slowly to a climax and with the final drum note kicked in, the stage lighting revealed a perfect backdrop of fairy lights which shimmered over the crowd whilst illuminating the large ensemble band.
As a palpable sense of energy and passion emitted from the stage, each band member seemed to be having the time of their life, from the drummer Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, who spent most of his time standing up conducting the crowd, to Ragnar “Raggi” Þórhallsson and Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir who shared vocal and frontman duties, harmonising on the bulk of the tracks creating a sumptuous effect.
Whilst ‘My Head Is An Animal’ is filled almost entirely of joyous, single friendly songs, the group has created a selection of songs imbued with a distinct sense of adoration for their Icelandic folk musical roots. Set highlights included the rollicking ballad King And Lionheart, toe-tapper Six Weeks, and rolling folk sing-along From Finner.
The atypical instrumentation choices incorporated into the group’s sound, such as the piano accordion, provide Of Monsters and Men with an audible edge of musical tenacity, which places the act just a cut above many pop bands currently doing the rounds. This is clearly evident in the dedication of their listenership which has grown quickly world wide on the strength of the material contained on the first album. Exiting the stage, the six piece act cheered the crowd while taking snap shots of the elated crowd. If the rapturous response from punters is any indiction the band will be welcome back to our celestial shores anytime.
Zak Hepburn
