Monsters of Folk - "Monsters of Folk"

Monsters of Folk... seems like their name says enough, no? This band consists of a few well-known folk artists: Conor Oberst & Mike Mogus (of Bright Eyes) and M. Ward & Jim James (of My Morning Jacket). This album is their first formally recorded collaboration, although they often perform together. So, basically if you're a fan of Bright Eyes or My Morning Jacket, logic would lead me to believe that you will enjoy tunes by Monsters of Folk.

In my opinion, each track sounds distinctly like a Bright Eyes one or a My Morning Jacket one. Which, thankfully, works out well for me since I like both bands. The only major difference I can hear is that Oberst is slightly less whiny-sounding than he is on Bright Eyes albums. This results in a somewhat more cheerful overall vibe.

I think it would be safe to say that if you don't like folk music, you probably won't like this album. If you do, however, then it's a great one. And if you *really* enjoy it after listening, Monsters of Folk is actually having a concert in Oakland at the Fox Theatre - look into it if you're interested.

My vote: 4 stars
My favorite tracks: "The Right Place" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnL96oSKVSc and "Map of the World" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS4uNzffHPk&feature=related