Of Monsters and Men leave Vancouver fans glowing
Icelandic folk- pop rising stars kick off North American tour with solid performance at Orpheum
There is a reason why Of Monsters and Men’s Little Talks has garnered close to 60 million views on YouTube: It’s a catchy, instantly hummable tune with a snappy “Hey!” singalong part and some heartfelt horn blasts.
A good chunk of the audience present at the Icelandic band’s sold- out North American tour kickoff at the Orpheum Sunday night were obviously looking to hear the band’s hit song, much like anyone who cares for the Lumineers wants to hear hit single Ho Hey or how Edward Sharpe fans get their biggest kicks out of hearing the familiar chorus of Home.
Of Monsters and Men certainly match the current neo- folk trend that has swept the indie pop landscape, a phenomenon exemplified by British “nu- folk” flag- bearers Mumford & Sons landing the Grammy for Album of the Year earlier this year with Babel.
But Of Monsters and Men are a charming bunch, and they showed how spending the better part of the last two years on the road has made them a force to be reckoned with.
Their Orpheum concert Sunday easily explained why the Icelandic fivepiece ( seven- piece if you include two touring musicians) is breaking away from the pack.
Led by the lead combo vocals of sparkly-dressed Nanna Brynds Hilmarsdttir and nasally- voiced teddy bear Ragnar Rhallsson, the band amalgamated the sound of new- folk with the synthetic textures of ambient acts like the xx and, at times, the new wave pop of ’ 80s film soundtracks.
Rather than chilly vibes, the band projected a warmth that filled the room with a summery glow. Of Monsters and Men opened their set with shadowplay from behind white stage curtains leading into Dirty Paws, which immediately got the crowd on its feet.
By the third song, Slow and Steady, the band had the capacity crowd waving their arms in the air, awash in a chorus consisting of three guitars, horns, keys and accordion.
First single Mountain Sound took on a carnivalesque flair, presented under the stage’s five white globes and streamers.
There was a distinctly European flavour to Of Monsters and Men’s set, which consisted mostly of material from the band’s 2012 debut My Head Is An Animal. ( The band is planning to begin working on the followup to its chart- busting album later this year.)
Stepping outside their own shoes, the band gave a spirited, hornsplashed rendition of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Skeletons, a valiant effort that somehow failed to fully get the crowd’s attention.
“Are you ready for a quiet song?” Hilmarsdttir asked before a cutesy Love Love Love, given a whimsical touch by a bubble- blowing machine. Nice.
Unfortunately, Hilmarsdttir’s emotive voice found itself a little too low in the mix on the softer songs. It’s too bad because the singer really was the standout element throughout the evening.
Not that it really mattered on a stomper like King And Lionheart, where the crowd clapped along loud enough to almost bury the band.
By the time the band finally rolled out Little Talks, Of Monsters and Men were performing for a sea of cellphones, the crowd completely enraptured by the band’s pop hit.
Oddly enough, the Icelanders had already blown out the confetti one song earlier on Lakehouse. Too bad.
Of Monsters and Men would call it a night just a few songs later, barely past the one- hour mark, with the noisy, drum- heavy buildup of Six Weeks (“She follows me into the woods/ Takes me home”), and an encore consisting of backwards love song Sloom and grandiose, Arcade Fireesque finale Yellow Lights ( complete with fake snow gently falling from the ceiling).
What Of Monsters and Men have accomplished over the past two years — touring the globe, playing every festival from Coachella to Lollapalooza, and performing on Saturday Night Live ( last week) — is nothing short of incredible.
Judging by the band’s solid display in Vancouver Sunday night, these Monsters are about to get real big.