MONSTERS OF FOLK Monsters Of Folk (2009 issue UK 15-track 2-LP vinyl set - Monsters Of Folk [comprised of Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst & Mike Mogis, My Morning Jacket's Jim James and singer / songwriter M. Ward] release their first collaborative album. While entertaining audiences coast to coast, during their 'An Evening With: Bright Eyes, Jim James & M. Ward' tour, with gorgeous acoustic melodies and world weary tales, the foursome vowed to make their way to a studio at some point. Never ones to forget their promise, when downtime presented itself, they convened in the studio multiple times over two years, with Mike Mogis at the helm of their first recorded effort. The result is as stunning and storied as you would expect it to be. All four members play every instrument on the album, supplying everything from drum kills to cascading backing vocals. The songs – some road-worn fables, some intimate and intricate with electronic elements, some woozy and sun-soaked – are everything one expects from these four musical minds collaborating together. The album exudes a warm, organic spaciousness, filled by brilliant choruses, intoxicating harmonies and effortless melodies, as each member brings his own strengths to the table to create one perfect whole).