Like The Highwaymen and The Traveling Willburys before them, Monsters of Folk is a supergroup of massive proportions. Unlike those groups which carried the torch for the worlds of Country and Classic Rock, Monsters of Folk are the torchbearers of the Indie-Rock scene. MOF is comprised of such luminaries as Jim James (of My Morning Jacket), M. Ward (from She & Him and solo career fame), Conor Oberst (better known as his moniker Bright Eyes) and uber-producer Mike Mogis who has nurtured along the careers of all three of these other singer-songwriters at one time or another. Those of you who follow the careers of these Monsters won't be too surprised by this project as James, Ward and Oberst have shared the stage many times in the past, hooking up for mini-tours and a terrific stint on Austin City Limits.

The name Monsters of Folk in itself is hilariously misleading considering none of these gentlemen would be confused as Folk troubadours, but the name still seems somehow fitting - considering these men have made the most out of careers playing music that is much more mellow than monstrous. The only minor gripe I have with Monsters of Folk is the fact that the album never feels the least bit collaborative. This is essentially three solo EPs all tossed into one monstrous 15 track package. Thus the album lacks any kind of cohesion and there is precious little of the joyous jamming that made the Traveling Willburys collaboration such an exalted romp. Instead, Monsters of Folk is all compilation with very little collaboration.

That being said, however, I should repeat that this is still a very minor gripe because all the material contributed here is strong. You might suspect that an album such as this might be a good place to dump filler and castaway songs unfit for the other members' albums. In fact, some of the tracks, such as James' "Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)," Oberst's "Temazcal" and Ward's "Sandman, the Brakeman and Me" are among the finest tracks in each's respective careers. A solid album that is an absolute pleasure for the ears and the grey stuff between them, Monsters of Folk is the kind of gem that doesn't come around too often so be sure to add this Monster to your Halloween celebration.