Jack White and Dave Grohl are embarking on more side projects than some people have hot dinners and everyone else in the music biz seems to be in the grips of supergroup mania. So with practically every muso and his dog picking up instruments and hitting record enter supergroup #397 – or so it seems – BARB.

The group is made up of indie, antipodean heroes: Liam Finn, Lawrence Arabia, Connan Mockasin, EJ Barnes and Seamus Ebbs. The group are apparently fueled by mutual respect, awe and enjoyment of each other’s company. The overall process took three years of fantasising, cross-pollinating and hilarious email exchanges before the quintet managed to converge on New Zealand’s Roundhead Studios for a four week writing and recording spell.

The self-titled record is one hell of a creative tour de force with elements from the individuals’ respective sounds providing a musical foundation. Finn provides the pop, Barnes the sweet and subtle sounds plus there’s the psychedelic rock of Connan & The Mockasins and the absurdist Darren Hanlon-like lyrics of Lawrence Arabia. Just a sample of the latter includes a four year old’s obsession with Leonardo DiCaprio, boat trips along the Nile and tales of lesbian lovers with a psychedelic soundtrack.

Leo has novelty hit stamped all over it even if the timing is a little off in terms of subject matter. A moody and ambient pop trip, it’s about the heartthrob turned “serious actor”. It’s also one that would’ve definitely worked best back in ‘96 or ‘97 when all the youngsters were left simultaneously lusting for their Romeo and King Of The World.

The fabulously titled, Alcoholic Darling was clearly written by Finn as he not only completes lead vocals on the track but it also has a pop groove and plenty of effects and loops which the bearded guy is famous for. From this we get a light and catchy tune reminiscent of Architecture in Helsinki ( Not A Bird ) and an answer to one too many calls placed by David Bowie to Major Tom in Please Don’t Interrupt.

Elsewhere there’s some Dandy Warhols-meets-Split Enz space-age travel in Martin XII; a piano ballad with all manner of strange noises including screeching metal and tortured sounds similar to flagellating a singing saw in Time To Contemplate before there is a cacophony of crash drums almost coming head-to-head with the Inspector Gadget theme in Beatman. Counting Sleep meanwhile, is a ballad full of red sultriness and one you could easily imagine Chrissy Amphlett singing with great aplomb, while Characterful is an instrumental hodgepodge referencing a carnival ride and old-time movie soundtrack.

Barb is all about challenging the listener’s expectations with lush reverbs, hazy psychedelia and frivolously fun and upbeat pop sounds. At times this is executed with inspired genius and at other moments it’s self-indulgent and borderline farce. In short, an ambitious adventure through 12 schizophrenic songs alternating between innumerable genres and the sum of the creative, diverse and enigmatic indie masterminds and their hefty swag of influences.