Monsters Of Folk
The Troxy, London
17/11/2009

It’s quite something to bring together three of America’s most distinctively voiced frontmen. In the year of the unlikely top-grade American supergroup, Monsters Of Folk – Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, M Ward and Centro-matic lead singer turned drummer Will Johnson – have outdone the lot of them on tonight’s evidence. Even heavy rock’s wet-dream-team Them Crooked Vultures.

East London’s Troxy (a mix of roaring 20s and garish 80s as Jim James would have it) has suddenly become the adopted home for American bands. Following recent performances from Wilco and The Flaming Lips, this five-piece seem totally at home here. Dressed in Orbison style suits there’s as much crooning and rockabilly going down as folk and weird-new-America. Clearly M Ward has influence over his more famous partners, though it’s the vocals of James and Oberst that take this out of beautiful mood music territory and in to full on breath-stealing beast. The rolling acoustics are made for James’ haunting echoed vocals on re-imagined My Morning Jacket numbers and tonight’s perfect moment: the twanging country of ‘The Right Place’ that glows as Mogis’ warm lap steel guitar fills the air. Each song sees a positional and instrument merry-go-round including drummer Johnson showing off his gifted Southern drawl on ‘Nothing Makes Sense’. At another turn a silent crowd breathe in Oberst’s perfectly awkward spotlight introspection on Bright Eyes classic ‘Another Travelling Song’ and new standout ‘Temazcal’, which ends with glorious Fleet Foxes style harmonising. Oberst has the perfect storytelling voice for the Seeger-esque folk ballad ‘Man Named Truth’. There’s plenty of good ol’ Americana, for which these men are famous, yet it’s the cheerier numbers (‘Ahead of the Curve’, ‘Goodway’) that catch your tapping toe, making the evening flow.

Monsters Of Folk are trying something almost original as a collective with this mix of new tracks and individual old favourites. Dispensing with support they don’t depart until three full hours have passed. With a second spinal tap moment of the evening Conor Oberst knocks the piano over in the 33rd and final number – the delicate Jim James-led ‘His Master’s Voice’. A little punch drunk ourselves, three hours seems excessive even for these talented troubadours; their heroes Young and Springsteen stop short of that landmark.

Ben Rimmer