Monsters of Folk

Monsters of Folk.

Monsters. Of. Folk.

Let's try that one more time: Monsters of Folk. Okay, I still don't believe the so-called supergroup named themselves as such. Sure, it's a testimony to their status in the indie folk community but it also seems like the most expensive inside joke. MOF comprises of Conor Oberst, M. Ward (also in She&Him), Mike Mogis (of Bright Eyes), and Jim James (of My Morning Jacket.) Their back story finds the four musician playing on each other's set five years ago that a collaboration was eminent.

Here we are in 2009 and from the songs released so far, it sounds like somebody put together a Bright Eyes/M. Ward/My Morning Jacket mesh. There doesn't seem to be a cohesive feeling on the tracks leaked so far, hence my disappointment. Individually, each track has it merits as well as faults. "Dear God" rolls over this lush drum loop. "Between The Sandman, The Brakeman, And Me" carries a jaunty guitar line under smile-worthy harmonies. "Temazcal" must have been left off the track list for Outer South while the chorus in "Magic Marker" shows their songwriting as their weakest. "Say Please" trails as a continuation of "Handle with Care" from Jenny Lewis' debut album. Basically, we've got the Travelling Wilburys stretched out on fifteen tracks.

The album as a whole wobbles on unsure feet of where to walk: Do we go with a Oberst song or a James song? Maybe we'll throw Ward's vocal over Oberst's lyrics? Monsters of Folk teeters and totters on potential only to topple underneath old ideas and familiar territory. Worst yet, these are four very talented men and three come with weighted musical histories. I'm not surprised by my disappointment in a sense. Their collaboration doesn't work as we're rehashing An Evening With Jim James, M. Ward, and Bright Eyes. People can shit bricks over this album but I'm going to wipe my ass and walk away. Let me know when each respective band releases their next album as these tracks might as well be b-sides to old records.

If you must, listen at their myspace.