Monsters Of Folk

We Say...

Review by Karen Schoemer

Jim James, M. Ward and Conor Oberst are no strangers to alienation, and on Monsters of Folk they each concoct a character struggling with that feeling. James's "Magic Marker" tries to reassure a nameless "frozen kid," sitting up at night with pens and notebooks, that it's no crime not to fit in. "Ordinary don't mean nothin' no-how," he soothes, as dobro and Wurlitzer warm up a Neil-Young-circa-Harvest simple strum. In "The Sandman, the Brakeman and Me," Ward takes his typical refuge in the past: the song is a vintage folk allegory about a lone traveler in search of a sweet dream, bemoaning the slow train he's riding. "Guess I'll lay my head against my elbow and the window/Watch the wheels go," he sighs. And in a bitter lament called "Map of the World," Oberst chillingly describes how the right choices can lead to a middle-aged dead end: "You cling to your wife/Your kids and your life/There is nothing that you are going to save."

It's a testament to the skills and high standards of these three collaborating frontmen — plus their trusty Tonto, miracle engineer Mike Mogis — that Monsters of Folk feels less like an indie ego parade than a backroom songwriters' showdown, with each pulling out ideas, references and turns of phrase more daring and accomplished than the last. Big-league supergroups like the Highwaymen or the Traveling Wilburys existed so that solo stars could ease the pressure and unwind with sympatico pals; the Monsters display a cameraderie of a different sort. There's a genuine poignancy in hearing these fringe masters take heart in each other's company, swapping instruments and doling out egalitarian writing credits; the spaces between them echo with mutual respect. From James's "Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)," a strained take on Al Green-style Memphis gospel, to the juicy pop of Ward's "Say Please," these guys repeatedly confront the issues of helplessness and isolation without trying to solve or overcome them. The strength of their numbers just adds a little comfort to the pain.