**1/2 Better Than Ezra

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

(Elektra)

Before we sweep up the broken shards of alternative rock and toss them into the dustbin of history, Better Than Ezra would like to take one last look at the pieces, to see whether there might be any fragment worth polishing. On their third, loosest, most experimental album, BTE try a lot of things that would sound silly in less confident hands. How about an electric piano-based, guitar-free bit of noir pop ("One More Murder")? How about a rap with electronically distorted vocals over some Eurotrashy electronica ("Je ne m'en souviens pas")? How about some flute, dub beats, and vibes for extra texture? Some blasts of psychedelia via ancient analog synths? Some grand gestures à la Radiohead, since BTE singer/composer Kevin Griffin's keening voice certainly resembles Thom Yorke's? How about having the musicians play one another's instruments? Everything's here but the sounds of the trio's native New Orleans. The result resembles one of those mosaic tabletops made from shattered crockery. As a whole, it's oddly attractive and sturdy, even though the pieces don't really fit together.

-- Gary Susman