Bran Van 3000

Glee (Capitol)
by Rowan-Morrison

Proving that Beck doesn’t have a monopoly on eclectic compositions, Jamie Di Salvio enlisted the aid of 20 Montreal-based musicians to create this offbeat offering. Rather than sounding like a tight collective, this resembles a compilation of different artists. With a collaboration project as diverse as this, it’s tough to sum up their sound with a pithy catchphrase and an approval rating, but I’ll give it a shot. Glee equally hits and misses, as it takes excursions into techno, hip hop, and rock territories, while maintaining a funky edge throughout. The stand-outs include “Forest,” which melds hard-hitting male and female raps with pop harmonies over a guitar structure; “Rainshine,” which also combines rap and indie-pop; and the acoustic “Everywhere.” Hopefully, BV3K will use their better tracks as a template for their sequel; a move that would also insure a more identifiable sound. So, like my dad used to do on Halloween, you have to sort through this bag of weirdness to find the half-dozen or so treats worth consuming. Once you find them, you’ll agree that these could’ve made a phenomenal EP, rather than a slightly above average full-length release.