Album of the Week: Of Monsters And Men, 'Beneath The Skin'
by Mark Wheat
June 29, 2015
Iceland is a beautifully unique country and culture. While the rest of the world pushes back against the idea of austerity, it seems ingrained in Iceland's DNA. Icelanders use their earth-given resources wisely, not only bathing in the famous spa waters but using the natural heat to supply their electricity. I've enjoyed visiting Iceland to sample the pristine countryside and to marvel at how light a footprint we humans can exert if we restrain ourselves.
It seems that sometimes, however, the results of Icelandic culture coming into contact with the rest of the world have not always been advantageous to Icelanders. The most obvious example was the way their banking system collapsed after the global downturn. Iceland had invested heavily in attracting cheap business, mostly from other European nations, who were able to survive and prosper once again after the initial collapse. But one could also argue that the recent negativity aimed at Bjork for her MOMA show and at Sigur Rós going on indefinite hiatus (seemingly exhausted from touring when they just want to stay home and make music for themselves in their converted swimming pool) are similar examples of a culture that might be happy to be left alone.
On a trip to Iceland in 2011, I discovered Of Monsters and Men on a compilation of homegrown tunes in a wonderful record store in Reykjavik. That track "Little Talks" did jump out as one of the catchiest of the songs, but I had no idea it would wind up being the worldwide hit that it was, quickly ensuring a SXSW gig for the band, which I was able to attend. Although a tight unit, Of Monsters and Men seemed like deer in the headlights, amazed at the reception they received. Their debut album, My Head Is An Animal, had several more songs that we played and that the world responded favorably to, resulting in almost two solid years of touring. So, with their cultural history and apparent individual quiet reserve, the thought of approaching a sophomore album must have been staggeringly difficult for Of Monsters and Men. I was almost convinced it wouldn't happen, but here it is, fully two years later and "Crystals," the first song from the new album, Beneath the Skin, has just become their fourth song inducted to our Chart Show Hall of Fame, putting them at No. 22 on our All-Time Chart Hall of Fame! As far as our listeners are concerned, then, Of Monsters and Men have already dodged the sophomore slump. But how deep does Beneath The Skin go, and how have Of Monsters and Men been affected musically by their swift ascent?
By the band's own admission, the new album is more personal lyrically, which they attribute to knowing each other better after five years together and experiencing what the success threw at them. The title, then, is portentous; the animal references are still there but are more purely metaphorical, and when co-lead singer Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir sings "Forgive what is within/because I'm in this house/ I'm in this home/All my time" on "Crystals," you know she's not referring to the same house that featured in "Little Talks," and that the concept of home has changed for her.
Of Monsters and Men did try out a few new instruments, but the overall sound is very recognizable. The production is larger, there are more crescendos in a style that Sigur Rós did so well (like on track nine, "Thousand Eyes"), but the songs are built upon more organically folky tropes. Overall, the album also has a more somber tone to it, less jaunty and carefree than we might have expected; there are not as many sing-alongs as on the debut, a note for the festival audiences that they'll play to around the world. Perhaps "Black Water" will suffice, with its long drawn out "Woo-ohs." And those festival crowds might even catch on to the "Come on, Come on, let's go!" off the final track "We Sink."
"Wolves Without Teeth" works well at melding Of Monsters and Men's lyrical references to nature and the pining of a human heart, and on the song "Human," they sing "When the words weigh heavy on the heart/ I am lost and led only by the stars."
Intuitively, Of Monsters and Men have spent enough time back at their unique home base to reconnect with their instincts, and you feel like they've created something from their hearts rather than simply concocting something new that they think will work with the rest of the world.