Tortoise & Bonnie “Prince” BillyThe Brave and The BoldDominoThree-and-a-half out of five stars

Think you have an eclectic taste in music?

Compared with the musical preference of math-rockers Tortoise and alt-country/indie legend Will Oldham, you most definitely do not.

Their collaboration effort, a cover album titled The Bold and The Brave, gives us a glimpse of their musical likes-which couldn’t be more assorted.

The songs that receive renovation by Tortoise and Bonnie “Prince” Billy (Will Oldham) are a disparate and obscure bunch-including some by artists Elton John, Lungfish, Bruce Springsteen, Quix*o*tic and Devo.

Yes, that Devo.

And what’s the result of this eccentric project? Not as good as one might hope.

Consider the celebrity of the participants: Tortoise, influential college-radio-beloved instru-rockers who subtly revolutionized American indie music with a unique brand of melting-pot, electronic-tinged instrumental rock, and Will Oldham, a.k.a. Bonnie “Prince” Billie, legendary alt-country indie rocker whose material is as timeless as it is literate. With this combination, one could safely expect brilliance.

But like the Kubrick/Spielberg movie “A.I.” proved, collaborations between geniuses don’t always result in the anticipated perfection.

The Brave and The Bold is not a poor album by any means; it’s an exceptionally entertaining rock record, full of compelling grooves, jam sessions and heartfelt howls. But the record rarely rises above the sum of its parts. Many of the tracks wander awkwardly between the two talents, in need of an aggressive touch or direction.

There are some highlights, however; the album opener, “Cravo E Canela,” is a hot spot, the remake of Elton John’s “Daniel” hits its target, and Lungfish’s “Love is Love” is brushed with an appealing electronic hue.

Despite its somewhat wasted potential, The Brave and The Bold is a superior album made by extraordinary musicians-and at the very least, picking it up may make your collection more eclectic.

Marshal Hogan