In 2011, Of Monsters and Men launched their career and made a name for themselves in the music industry with their album, My Head is an Animal, which includes their hit song, “Little Talks.” As of June 9th, they have done it again. The Icelandic indie pop group came out with another successful album, Beneath The Skin.

Beneath The Skin contains 13 tracks and is similar in sound and style with their debut album. Similar to My Head is an Animal, there are many references to symbolic animals. The title for the album originated from their song, “Human.” Four singles (“Empire”, “Crystals”, “Hunger,” and “I of the Storm”) were released prior to the full album, which hit number 3 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Songs that stick out in the album are “Human,” “Organs,” and “Hunger”. The track “Hunger” is symbol for a desire, a want for something more. It refers to an unsuccessful and ruined relationship. “Organs” is alike to the track “Hunger” in that it is also about a disastrous relationship. However, in contrast to “Hunger,” the narrator is trying to find a way to deal with the situation rather than to change it.

“Human” would have to be one of my personal favorites due to its meaning. It talks about the two different sides of us. The human side is more rational and calm, while the monster side displays the dark and insecure portion that fails to fit within society. I particularly enjoyed Beneath The Skin due to the similes, metaphors and constant symbolisms within each and every track. Personally, I thought the lyrics sent a beautiful message as it matched the symbolism and the style of the song.

Unlike Taylor Swift or Mumford and Sons, Of Monsters and Men haven’t changed their musical style because of their prior success with their 2011 album. Of Monsters and Men are typically compared to The Lumineers due to their similarity of genre and sound.