The folk-inspired Icelandic band makes its grand return with “All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade.”
The folk-inspired Icelandic band makes its grand return with “All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade.”
In the midst of autumn, Of Monsters and Men’s Oct. 17 release “All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade” is an ideal way to greet the season. Featuring musical concepts traditionally found in classic rock and acoustic genres, the album shows an innovative twist on the Icelandic group’s folk-inspired style.
Best known for their 2011 album, “My Head Is An Animal,” which featured hits like “Little Talks,” the latest album is the quintet’s first since 2019.
The album’s 13 tracks blend harmoniously to show off the group’s vocal diversity and intimate storytelling while creating a brand-new sound in the folk scene.
Opening track “Television Love” starts with layered violin chords, drum kit beats and a gradual build-up in sound to articulate the whirlwind of grief that comes with the difficulties of getting over a past lover.
“I’m not getting over the pain / Someone give me Novacaine, ” vocalist Ragnar Þórhallsson sings.
The intention behind the opener is clear — this stage is set for tragedy.
“Dream Team” offers a more upbeat take on this heartbreak, combining raw and sorrowful lyrics with an effortless guitar melody to note the importance of unity and trust within a devoted relationship.
Complementing the previous tracks’ heartbreaking undertones, “The Actor” showcases grand vocals and grander feelings about sentiments of coldness and inadequacy in a relationship.
The impressive range and lyrical prowess of lead vocalists Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar Þórhallsson transport the audience into another world filled with the imperfect scars from lovers’ past, providing listeners with a vulnerability that only music can provide.
Building off the previous track’s conflicting emotions, “Tuna in A Can” introduces gentle piano instrumentation into another beautiful chorus where dedication is put to question.
“It’s so hard to be happy / It’s so hard to be dripping with joy,” the band sings earnestly.
Fifth track “Barefoot in Snow” explores expectations, utilising repetitive compulsive phrases of ideal expectations to weigh assumptions and reality.
The album takes a much slower direction in “Fruit Bat,” with subtle drums and simple guitar strums backdropping self-reflective lyrics about lacking remorse in a relationship.
“I need something you don’t seem to need / A sweeter goodbye, I’m like a fruitbat hanging tight,” sings the quintet. The song ends on a piano crescendo, foreshadowing the following piano-centric tracks.
“Kamikaze” dive-bombs with a sudden, extravagant guitar intro and is one of the group’s most skillful showcases in emotional range through lyrical prowess.
“Who loves you more than me? / Who loves you more?” the group sings.
With forward-looking themes of acceptance, the eighth track concludes with an extended musical outro that bridges into “Ordinary Creature.”
The record’s lead single explores grief in failing relationships through painstakingly relatable songwriting. Expressing the desire to find comfort in a partner, the chorus is one that will resonate with listeners everywhere.
“Styrofoam Cathedral” looks more forward still at the tentativeness of a new relationship. Layered keyboard chords build like the fear of rejection throughout the song, connecting the track’s finish to the subtle piano intro of “The Block.”
The heartbreaking eleventh track warps time as the lyrics describe coping with the undefined length of sorrow-filled memory. Finishing with nothing but raw vocals, the track ends with a soul-stirring touch.
“Mouse Parade” opens with quiet humming, laying the tear-stained groundwork for the most sentimental track of the album. With very few lyrics, the band blends the beauty of gentle guitar strums with real-world sounds of creaky floorboards and heart pulses to mimic the uncomfortable feelings present during times of loss.
The gorgeously haunting album finishes with “The End,” acting as a final cry out to rekindle a past relationship.
Each song shines light on a different aspect of intimate relationships, honing into the senses present during a loss and tapping into the richness of human emotion.
After their long-awaited album release, Of Monsters and Men provides a new perspective on romance — one where love and pain are interwoven in acoustic bliss.
“All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade” is available to stream on all music platforms.
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