Build’s self-titled first album is a risky, albeit exciting, little record. Not only does composer Matt McBane pull together jazz, bluegrass and instrumental rock, but each track throws you Lewis Carrol-style through the looking glass into a strange new landscape. “In the Backyard,” begins the album, a pastoral piece composed in Los Feliz, California reminiscent of a warm, breezy afternoon with a violin fading in and out, light jazz drumming and upbeat piano chords. Then it’s on to “Magnet,” a track that eerily, but delightfully, skews genre by transforming a two-bar bluegrass fiddle pattern into jazzy drum and piano parts. The final piece is a 13-minute tribute to minimalist Steve Reich with slow, drawn out piano solos and occasional drums that echo through seemingly endless empty space. The contrast is slightly jarring. Still, the surreal wonderland Build leads you through is endlessly fascinating and often gorgeous.

Standout Tracks: “In the Backyard,” “Magnet”