Monsters Of Folk - Monster Of Folk (2009) Hi-Res

This supergroup ensemble features Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James and M. Ward, resulting in a predictably accomplished, yet inevitably inconsistent romp through various districts of Americana. It begins with something of a wrong-footer - in the best possible sense - sampling a great vintage funk backbeat and teaming it with some well-placed harp and a soulful lead vocal for the reclined, yet purposeful 'Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)'. As the piece dissolves into elegiac arcs of reverb towards the end (sounding a little like Radiohead's 'Nude') you might feel this album is set on a different course from the one you initially imagined, but for better or worse, that's not really the case and much of the record finds our notable alt. country protagonists doing what comes naturally, racking up goodtime rockers like 'Say Please', 'Baby Boomer' and 'Goodway', with a fluency and authenticity few could muster - in this respect, 'Whole Lotta Losin' is especially welcoming with its bristling, fusion of rabble-rousing country twang and synthesizer. Offering a slightly more earnest, unashamedly emotive side to the band's output are Conor Oberst-fronted tracks like 'Ahead Of The Curve', 'Temazcal' and the zeitgeisty, politically-geared 'Man Named Truth'. There's much to applaud here, and although as an album this is neither as coherent nor as consistent as the best works from any of the parties involved, there's still plenty to recommend it.

When M. Ward, Mike Mogis, Jim James, and Conor Oberst announced plans to record an album together, fans were quick to link the supergroup to the Traveling Wilburys, who blazed a similar path 20 years earlier. Truth be told, Monsters of Folk's emphasis on harmony vocals and atmospheric arrangements has just as much in common with the work of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, even if the political concerns that grounded that group are mostly absent here. Instead, the self-titled Monsters of Folk tackles topics like religion, nature, love, and lust, with all four songwriters sharing vocals and songwriting credits. Mogis, who rose to prominence by playing a central but somewhat surreptitious role in Bright Eyes, receives less screen time than the others, preferring instead to stay behind the scenes as producer and sideman. Even so, his guitar solo during "Say Please" is one of the album's loudest moments, and his production helps draw the album together. That's important, because there are multiple genres at work here, from trip-hop to rootsy rock to homely, homespun pop. Spread over 15 tracks, the combination wears thin at several points, and a few of the songs feel like solo material as opposed to a composite product. Monsters of Folk has moments on flat-out beauty, though, and when the musicians pitch their voices together -- as they do on the gorgeous "Slow Down Jo" -- the teamwork really shines through.