Rating
4.5

I have been patiently waiting for the release of Monsters of Folk’s self-titled debut album for a few months now. Monsters of Folk is the newest project from some of indie’s acclaimed musicians. The band consists of Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes, Yim Yams from My Morning Jacket and mostly solo act M. Ward. 

I am a Bright Eyes fan, so I try to keep up with any projects Oberst works on. When I heard about this new band, I grew excited to hear what Monsters of Folk would sound like. 

The album has an overall folk rock and alternative/country genre base. It is great to hear these musicians and friends come together and produce a satisfying album. Luckily for me, Monsters of Folk sounds like some of Oberst’s work on his newer side project, Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. The album’s sound is also very similar to M. Ward’s solo songs, like “Get to the Table on Time” from Transfiguration of Vincent. 

Some of the heavier country-influenced tracks are “Man Named Truth” and “Whole Lotta Losing.” These fast-paced songs are good to jam out to, and both  tracks have beautiful meanings.

It is easy to see these musicians love what they do and their passion overflows into their work. With every member of the band having their own main projects, it will be hard for them to make another album anytime soon. But another Monsters of Folk album would be great, all the same.