I don't remember exactly how long ago I first heard about Monsters of Folk, the M. Ward-Jim James-Conor Oberst-Mike Mogis indie super group, but it seems like it might be bordering on years now. As far as my personal tastes are concerned, anything to do with M. Ward is sure to be at least 3/4's great and considering the caliber of the other musicians he'd be working with on this project, excitement was certainly running high, not only amongst myself but through the entire indie community as well.
However, due to the fact that half the members of this project were severely busy working on their own solo albums (James paid tribute to George Harrison under the name Yim Yames) or forming other bands (Ward's She and Him), Monsters of Folk was beginning to seem like the Vega Brothers of indie rock. (The Vega Brothers being Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction/Reservoir Dogs prequel about Vic and Vincent Vega that I think, more than ten years after the announcement of it, we can all assume isn't going to happen.) So last month, when a release date for Monsters of Folk was finally announced, the interrupted excitement returned and reached a fever pitch.
The album is sure to have critics everywhere freaking out and, upon listening to "Say Please," I can't say it's going to be without reason. A catchy bit of classic rock combining the sensibilities of the entire group, I can't imagine this song would sound out place on a record by any single one of the Monsters of Folk.
Monsters of Folk's self-titled debut comes out 9/22.
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