Of Monsters And Men Adds Synth Flourishes On 'Fever Dream'

Iceland's Of Monsters and Men exploded in popularity in 2011 with the band's epic smash "Little Talks." Since then, the band has been consistently making albums that have pushed further away from its original indie rock aesthetic. Of Monsters and Men's latest album, Fever Dream, represents a sonic shift with more synthesizers and electronic instruments. What's at the heart of the band's latest transformation? It's a tiny little keyboard called an OP-1.

"Usually, we would write a song like this," singer Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir says, referencing the band's stripped-down, acoustic performance of "Alligator." But for this album, she continues, "We were recording while writing, so we had our laptops and we were exploring that more. That was a totally new way — at least for me — to write."

We'll explore that sonic shift more and talk about thinking in Icelandic but singing in English. First though, we get started with a live performance of "Alligator." Hear it all in the player above.

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