"Mountain Sound" is a single by Icelandic indie folk and indie pop band Of Monsters and Men. The song was released as the second single from the international version of their debut studio album, My Head Is an Animal (2011). It was written by Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, Nanna BryndÃÂs Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar ÃÂórhallsson; and produced by Jacquire King.
The song was commercially successful in North America, peaking at no. 14 on the Billboard weekly Hot Rock Songs chart and no. 24 on the year-end Hot Rock Songs chart in 2013 in the U.S. and no. 9 on the Billboard Canada rock chart. Critical reception was also positive.
Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, Nanna BryndÃÂs Hilmarsdóttir and Ragnar ÃÂórhallsson collaboratively composed both the music and lyrics. "Mountain Sound" is in a time signature in E major, with a vocal range from C#4 to C#5. BryndÃÂs and ÃÂórhallsson share vocal leads.
The music video for "Mountain Sound" was filmed on location at a festival held at the Hljomskalagardurinn park in ReykjavÃÂk, Iceland, on 7 July 2012. The band was filmed while performing at the festival. The video was first released onto YouTube on 13 September 2012.
In the UK, "Mountain Sound" debuted on the UK Singles Chart at no. 66 on 10 November 2012, declining to no. 81 the following week and exiting afterwards. In the US, "Mountain Sound" debuted on the Billboard magazine Hot Rock Songs chart on 6 October 2012 and charted there for 52 weeks, peaking at no. 13 on 5 January 2013.
"Mountain Sound" received positive reviews. Matt Collar of allmusic praised "Mountain Sound" as "catchy" and found it similar to Florence and the Machine. Rolling Stone called the song "upbeat, barreling". Reviewing the My Head Is an Animal album, Hilary Saunders of Paste Magazine cited "Mountain Sound" as an example of quality vocal leads by BryndÃÂs and ÃÂórhallsson. Oran Mor of The Guardian commented that the song "crafts a memorable chorus out of the very English-sounding line 'Hold your horses now'."
The song was used in the trailer of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. It can be heard in a bar in the fourth episode of the first season of Gang Related, "Perros". It is also included as a playable song in Guitar Hero Live and as DLC for Rock Band 4.