Andrew Morales
Staff Writer
Of Monsters and Men is an indie folk – pop group that formed in 2010. They have eight people in their band playing instruments including the accordion and trumpet, creating a purely unique sound. While waiting in Terminal 5 NYC on November 20, I’ve never seen so many hipsters in one room before. They seemed to gravitate to the back of the room, so I got a good standing spot in the front.
The opener for the concert was Elle King, a raunchy busty blonde who drank beer on stage and sang songs she wrote and played banjo and guitar. She was a very good opener. Next up was an Icelandic band named Soley. Their music consisted of slow, dark melodic flowing songs that didn’t seem to impress the hipsters. I enjoyed their mystic style and the singers’ airy voice.
After 20 minutes of setup and tuning, finally Of Monsters and Men revealed themselves on stage. The crowd went wild as they went straight into playing “Dirty Paws.” The audience went silent and enthralled in the beautiful but powerful soundscapes of the music. Every note was heard, the singing was spot on with no signs of strain or discomfort, and the bass pedal resonated in my chest with every beat. It isn’t often that you see a band that sounds just as good if not better than their studio recordings. What made it better was the interaction and stage presence. Not only did they sound amazing, they also had the crowd clapping and singing along. Normally this alone makes the experience. Of Monsters and Men currently has one album out named My Head Is an Animal. They played every song from the album except for one. However, they made up for it by playing a new song, and it sounded very promising.
If you are looking for a new, fresh band that has upbeat melodies, fabulous instrumentation, serious lyrics, and harmonic duet vocals, definitely check out Of Monsters and Men. They will put you in a good mood, make you reflect on life, and remind you of the first time you fell in love with music.
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