My Head Is an Animal is the debut studio album by the Icelandic indie rock band Of Monsters and Men,Beckmann, Jim (6 December 2011). "Of Monsters And Men: From Reykjavik With Love", NPR Music. Retrieved 2012-01-05. released through Record Records in Iceland on 20 September 2011. After their success, topping the Icelandic charts with their debut single, "Little Talks", the band signed with Universal Music Group and the album was released internationally through Republic Records on 3 April 2012. The title of the album comes from the second line in "Dirty Paws".
Cover art The front of the international release is a photograph that Brynjar's grandfather took of his friend. The original was black and white; Arnar Hilmarsson added the coloring. The back is a family photograph that Ragnar found in his family pictures.
The pictures on the front and back of the Icelandic release depict men dressed for the Icelandic national sport of Glima.
Release and promotion Singles "Little Talks" was released as the debut single by the band, and the lead single from My Head Is an Animal on 20 December 2011, after it had been released as a promo to radio stations in the US and Europe in July 2011. The single propelled the band to nationwide popularity in the US, and has so far sold a million copies there. The success of the single in the US led to the band's signing with Universal Music Group, and the single, along with a revised version of My Head Is an Animal was released in North America on 3 April 2012. The music video for the song debuted in February 2012.
"Dirty Paws" served as the second single from My Head Is an Animal in the UK and Ireland. It was released on 12 April 2012, in the lead up to the album's re-release in Europe. A promotional single followed in June.
"Six Weeks" was released as a promotional single from the album in the UK and Ireland. It was released as a digital download on 27 August 2012.
"Mountain Sound" was released in the US as the second single from the album, and the fourth overall. Seeing a release worldwide as the follow-up to "Little Talks" as well, it was released on 2 September 2012. A music video to accompany the single was released on 24 September.
Reception Critical reception
The album received positive reviews from music critics. On Metacritic it currently holds a rating of 66/100, signifying generally favourable reviews.
Commercial performance The album debuted in the United States at number six on the Billboard 200, selling 55,000 units in its first week alone. This marked the best chart performance for an Icelandic musical artist in U.S. history. The previous chart record was held by Björk's Volta, which peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200 in 2009. In January 2014, the band announced via Facebook that the album had achieved platinum certification in the United States. As of June 2015, the album has sold 1.1 million copies in the US.
Track listing All songs are credited to Of Monsters and Men, but were actually written by the band's individuals and/or others. The actual writers are listed alongside the tracks.
Personnel
Of Monsters and Men Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir – vocals, acoustic guitar Ragnar Þórhallsson – vocals, acoustic guitar Brynjar Leifsson – electric and baritone guitar Kristján Páll Kristjánsson – bass guitar Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson – drums, percussion Árni Guðjónsson – accordion, piano, organ
Additional musicians Ari Bragi Kárason – trumpet Ragnhildur Gunnarsdóttir – trumpet Bergrún Snæbjörnsdóttir – French horn
Production (Icelandic release) Of Monsters and Men – producer on all tracks Aron Arnarsson – producer, engineer, mixing on all tracks Styrmir Hauksson – mastering Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson – artwork, design Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir – artwork, design Ragnar Þórhallsson – artwork, design
Production (US release) Of Monsters and Men – producer on tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Aron Arnarsson – engineer, producer on tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 Jacquire King – producer on tracks 2, 3, 4, 11 Craig Silvey – mixing Greg Calbi – mastering Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson – artwork, design Ragnar Þórhallsson – artwork, design
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for My Head Is an Animal Chart (2011–2013) Peak position Icelandic Albums (Tonlist) 1
Year-end charts + 2012 year-end chart performance for My Head Is an Animal Chart (2012) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 55 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) 57 Canadian Albums (Billboard) 32 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 72 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 44 UK Albums (OCC) 88 US Billboard 200 56 US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) 12 + 2013 year-end chart performance for My Head Is an Animal Chart (2013) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 18 Canadian Albums (Billboard) 48 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 19 UK Albums (OCC) 91 US Billboard 200 48 US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) 9 + 2014 year-end chart performance for My Head Is an Animal Chart (2014) Position US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) 54 + 2016 year-end chart performance for My Head Is an Animal Chart (2016) PositionIcelandic Albums (Plötutíóindi) 76 + 2018 year-end chart performance for My Head Is an Animal Chart (2018) Position Icelandic Albums (Plötutíóindi) 90
Decade-end charts + Decade-end chart performance for My Head Is an Animal Chart (2010–2019) Position Australian Albums (ARIA) 89 US Billboard 200 167
Certifications and sales
References