Surprising in every way

The only thing more WTF-worthy than David Byrne and Fatboy Slim collaborating on the musical-like “Here Lies Love” might be their concept: a bizarre celebration of the legacy of Imelda Marcos, wife of infamous Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

The double album features 22 guests, all prominent and celebrated females, from Cyndi Lauper to Kate Pierson of the B52’s. Often the novelty undermines the talent on something like this with so much star power. However, most songs are paired so appropriately with their featured artists that it works wonderfully.

Homework necessitates itself here, as the album’s female centerpiece is as unfamiliar as she is complicated.

However, neither collaborator asserts themselves. The point was not to create “Rockefeller Skank” mashed with “Psycho Killer,” but an attempt to think outside the box erased the best qualities of both artists.

Too often it plays like a magical Disney soundtrack, but the album’s quality is difficult to mistake. Unfortunately, solidity is not what you look for in an effort as off-the-wall as this.