A fever dream is a manic adventure: disjointed, inexplicable, incoherent. Of Monsters and Men have set themselves up as quite the comparison; their album of the same name is not without its moments but overall the Icelandic indie folk band’s third album feels as ephemeral as a bewildering dream.
Alligator is the only song that feels like a single: a moreish, indie-rock song with shades of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, a touch of Haim even. Lead singer Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir growls in all the right places; the drums thud in a way that makes you move your feet.
The rest of the album is far less pacy: twinkling, forgettable fillers that deal in lyrical platitudes and fail to land with any punch.
The production is fairly slick, and Hilmarsdóttir’s voice is celestial, but it’s not enough to make any of it matter.
