Dirty Paws

Occasionally, a song won’t register right away, but sneak up on me without any expectations. Icelandic collective Of Monsters and Men’s album My Head Is An Animal came out two years ago, with “Little Talks” oh-so-gradually becoming a crossover top 40 hit. Album opener “Dirty Paws” belatedly began receiving some radio airplay late last year when it was memorably used to score the trailer for the Ben Stiller flop The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. It is tremendous and a perfect introduction as it contains everything one may love or hate about the band–dramatic crescendoes, twee lyrics carrying more than a hint of folklore in them, propulsively shouted “HEYS!”, and chiming orchestral hooks. I love all of it, and “Dirty Paws” takes me to my happy place whenever it comes up on my mp3 player.