Multi-Sound Bran Van 3000 in Sync With Many Grooves

Bran Van 3000 specializes in a kaleidoscopic mixture of rock, hip-hop and soul with flourishes of lilting pop, reggae and leader James “Bran Man” Di Salvio’s smooth-flowing rhymes. Yet as free-spirited as the music is, the nine-piece ensemble from Montreal also has the chops and the smarts to keep it all on course on its new U.S. debut album, “Glee.” At the Troubadour on Wednesday, that strength of character was even more tangible.

With five vocalists (six at one point when they were joined by Grym Reaper of the Wu-Tang Clan spinoff the Gravediggaz) working over a basic rock combo, things could easily have become chaotic, but the musicians were locked in a groove, and no matter how many individuals were contributing, they were always in sync. The live synergy especially enhanced the group’s breezy version of Slade’s 1973 hit “Cum on Feel the Noize,” and the cool and sultry “Afrodiziak.” Bran Van also treated the full house to a remarkable rendition of U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” reworking the military beat of the original into a supple groove before segueing into their radio hit “Drinking in L.A.,” which drew an exceptionally enthusiastic response.

Rampant eclecticism often serves as a convenient screen for masking musical weaknesses, but in the case of Bran Van 3000, the dizzying diversity of its music only enhances its many strengths.

--SANDY MASUO