(Spunk/EMI)

More supergroup than folk

Monsters Of Folk are, as their name might suggest, a folk supergroup consisting of Jim James of My Morning Jacket, producer Mike Mogis, Conor Oberst AKA Bright Eyes, and M. Ward. Such a roster says two things: first, that there’s some serious talent on display here; and second, that the definition of folk here is one tailored the North American pop market. (Let’s put it this way: Alison Krauss, Joni Mitchell, Bill Callahan and Will Oldham would all have trouble fitting into this definition of ‘folk’.) Maybe I’m just projecting the fact that James (under the name Yim Yames) has recently recorded a tribute EP to George Harrison, but I can’t help but hearing an echo of the Traveling Wilburys in Monsters Of Folk: album track Baby Boomer has a freight-train rhythm like End Of The Line. Meanwhile, Whole Lotta Losin’ is more than a little reminiscent of Dire Straits’ Twisting By The Pool; lead single Say Please has all of the balladeering qualities of Roy Orbison, if not his production approach or inimitable voice. In short, Monsters Of Folk looks back to that strand of well-produced eighties pop music that looked back to the early rock & roll of Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. So as far as folk music goes, it’s not exactly a success; as far as a contemporary take on the kind of music now unfairly relegated to ‘easy listening’ stations goes, it’s pretty damned good.

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CHAD PARKHILL

Comments (1)

1. Written by Jim James, on 28-10-2009 00:27

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