One Track Mind

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With the notable exception of Broken Social Scene (and the less-notable one known as Swan Lake), the indie world doesn’t care much for the idea of the supergroup. It would rather leave the gimmick to the ear-numbing commercial radio acts–the Audioslaves and Velvet Revolvers of the world. On September 22nd, however, a new indie supergroup will enter the fray, drawing members from three groups who have toured together and sat in on each other’s sets. M. Ward, Bright Eyes‘ Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, and My Morning Jacket‘s Jim James will release their self-titled debut as Monsters of Folk and then hit the road for a comprehensive North American tour. “Say Please” is our first glimpse at the work of these Monsters.

The track is a trim two minutes and forty-eight seconds in length, but that is enough time for the band to paint a clear picture of their approach. There is a bluesy, southern rock swagger to much of “Say Please”–plenty of slippery guitar fills and the requisite distorted, note bending solo–and the instrumentation is simple but potent. As one might imagine given the lineup, an advantage the band is happy to leverage is the usage of vocal harmonies; Monsters of Folk deploys harmonies liberally and effectively, beefing up this track with the power of their various voices. Rhythmically, “Say Please” trots along on a choppy, consistent groove which is accented by a number of stops and starts. The sum total is very pleasing, a tight little nugget of songwriting.

When Monsters of Folk’s debut hits shelves, it will be interesting to hear how the band’s sound is influenced by their instrument and songwriting-credit swapping. My guess is that most songs will stick to the same general formula defined by “Say Please,” in which case it should be an easily digested but immediately satisfying listen.