On paper, Monsters of Folk should not amount to much more than one of those touted supergroups that mostly disappoint. After all, the three main band members (the fourth, Mike Mogine, is a talented multi-instrumentalist in Bright Eyes) are so dissimilar. Jim James, who calls himself Yim Yames on this CD, is mainstream rock in the so-called emo category, fronting My Morning Jacket, a band I’ve hitherto avoided. M. Ward is a gravelly-voiced singer/songwriter who trawls bygone sounds. And Conor Oberst is the precocious, sublime lyricist with the fragile voice who leads Bright Eyes.
Yet the self-titled debut album of Monsters of Folk is brilliant, and it’s brilliant because of, not despite, the contrasts. Exhibiting perfect democracy, each of the main three has brought songs to the album, and mostly (but not exclusively) they sing out those songs, while the other band members, in various instrumental groupings, flesh out the tunes and add superb backing vocals. One can tell immediately who is responsible for each song. The variety confuses at first listen but quickly deepens the pleasure of a run-through from start to finish. Standout tracks include: Oberst’s typically emotive, slow ballad ‘Ahead of the Curve,’ which rouses into a lovely chorus with classic harmonies; James’s ‘Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.),’ a heartfelt religious song kicked off with his falsetto but then featuring all three in rotation; ‘Say Please,’ a remarkably catchy, short single with Beatlesque tune and chorus; Ward’s ‘Sandman, The Brakeman and Me,’ a rolling, subdued gem; and Oberst’s incendiary ‘Man Called Truth.’
55 minutes . . . 15 great songs . . . three distinctive singers . . . commitment and passion audible throughout . . . what are you waiting for?