The supergroup Monsters of Folk was formed in 2004 while its members were busy touring and recording with their respective, well-known bands. Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Conor Oberst (formerly of Bright Eyes), Mike Mogis (also of Bright Eyes fame) and M. Ward all bring their own established sounds to the collaboration.
The group may be called Monsters of Folk, but "folksy" is not the adjective that springs to mind when listening to the its debut. With steel drums, samples from '70s gospel music, contemporary pop, blues and, of course, a folk element, it's a conglomerate of sounds and inspirations. And, in this case, it might be true that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Copyright 2009 XPN
