Monsters Of Folk - Monsters Of Folk

Super groups are a rarity. A good one is even rarer. There's the question of whether the album is just bits and pieces of the individuals or a cohesive and genuine combination. It's inevitable also that there will be mentions of the Travelling Wilburys alongside Monsters of Folk but gladly we are able to sidestep any such formalities here.

Monsters of Folk comprises of two Bright Eyes members, Mike Mogis and Conor Oberst, one M.Ward and Jim Jones from My Morning Jacket. All and a sundry here are very well matched on paper; beautiful lyrics full of depth, tinges of rock and folk and possibly drum machines, synths, howling backing vocals and layers of percussion. It's promising. Very promising.

And it's good. In fact it's a damn fine album all round. Though is might sound odd, opening an album with harps and a drum machine – as in, 'Dear God' – but it works gloriously. It's basically a My Morning Jacket tune. Jones' vocals lift and then push the tone upward and upward. A sumptuous beginning.

The dashing eclecticism keeps trucking on with the Ryan Adams/Beatles vibe of 'Say Please' with a guitar solo Harrison would be proud of. 'Temazcal' ghosts in and out with a lithe breeze capturing the echoing call of twin pining vocals. 'Man Named Truth' though sounding slightly like a local garage band, manages to fit some very clever lyrics together for a quick rawkish kick of a song. Two of the highlights – 'Good Way' and 'Slow Down Jo' – really pull the album into its lengthy format without dragging the album down. Fifteen tracks is a lot and to be honest, here, it's too much. After ten, that's really enough. Spread between the aforementioned tracks the other numbers lag a little. It's the price to pay for such eclecticism. It does that sometimes. Tiring perhaps, hopping from one genre to another. And back again.

Why Jim Jones is bothered doing anything outside the superb vehicle that is My Morning Jacket is surprising. Although, talent travels. Like those Wilburys. And despite not being as perfectly rounded as any My Morning Jacket album, this is a good fare. Worth the buck. Though, Monsters of Folk? That name needs to be changed. Sounds like a mid west American truck derby.