Album Review: Indie Heavy-weights unite in new folk band

With the formation of a super-group comes an enormous amount of excitement, very few acts -- most notable Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and The Traveling Wilburys -- are able to pull it off and live up to all the hype.

So when the audaciously named Monsters of Folk emerged most of that same anticipation was brought to the attention of every indie folk enthusiast. 

While it might be hard to imagine a super-group with a stronger pedigree than CSNY and The Traveling Wilburys, Monsters of Folk certainly comes close. 

With all of their members in their prime, the newly formed group of old friends features Bright Eye's cohorts Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, My Morning Jacket's front man Jim James, and She and Him's Matthew. Ward.

The intoxicating opener "Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F)" showcases James, Oberst, and Ward's ability to trade lead vocals through a cascading maze of synth-harp and haunting electronic beats.  

Most of the album features one member carrying the song while the others weave their harmonies throughout the background. 

It's relatively transparent that each member wrote the songs they star in rather than writing them as a collaborative unit.  Although this might be a disappointment for those wishing the songs had a more collective feel, it really doesn't hamper the overall grandeur of each song. 

Take a mesmerizing journey through the wastelands of America with Oberst's and Mogis's "Temazcalzzz,"  a lazy stroll through the atmospheric dreams of  Ward's "Sandman, The Brakeman and Me," and party with James on the roots-rocker "Losin Yo Head."

It isn't the lack of teamwork that plagues this project; it's more the fact that it doesn't possess the cohesive feel of a true album. Instead the self-titled debut plays out as a collection of well-crafted and remarkably gorgeous songs from the godfathers of the indie folk genre. However, this should only be noted as a minor asterisk for an album released in a generation obsessed with one song downloads.