REVIEW: Bran Van 3000, Glee (Capitol)
- Simon Speichert
Wow. I don't think I've heard an album as eclectic as this since, well, ever! But I guess that's what you get when you assemble thirty-some people to make music. Bran Van 3000 isn't so much a band, but a collective of musicians that comes together under the direction of one man, James "Bran Man" DiSalvio, who ends up acting as a sort of "conductor" on almost every track. As such, the musical styles on Glee vary wildly. From the old-school rap of the cleverly titled "Old School", to the experimental-ness of "Une Chanson" and "Oblonging", the folky "Mama Don't Smoke", and the electronic pop of the hit single "Drinking In L.A."
This is a fantastic album, because every track is so different from the next; it holds your interest without ever getting boring. Thus, there is literally something for everyone on this album. Plus, there's a bonus cheese factor: the hilarious acoustic cover of glam metal band Slade's "Cum On Feel The Noise".
While Glee is Bran Van's first U.S. release, they have already made it tremendously big in Canada for an independent band, getting heavy rotation on MuchMusic with the video for "Drinking In L.A.", winning a MuchMusic Video Award for that video, and literally becoming a household name. Let's hope that success follows suit south of the 49th.
