The Electronic Anthology Project is the title of Built to Spill's new EP... sort of.

For all intents and purposes, this is just as much as a Built to Spill album as it isn't.

It's not a Built to Spill album in that it's a self-titled EP by the side project made up of BtS founder Doug Martsch and longtime bassist Brett Nelson (not to be confused with guitarist Brett Netson), who take on the monikers "Dug Martsch" and "brett neLson."

The name Built to Spill isn't formerly attached to the project. The three-guitar wall that is Built to Spill's calling card is non-existent.

And although the self-released album contains a compilation of seven Built to Spill's songs re-sung by Martsch, the instrumentation consists only of synth and drum machine, in the vein of 1980's New Wave music.

Also, the songs are renamed with anagrams, so "What If Your Dull" is the EAP's take on "I Would Hurt A Fly."

It’s not likely that fans will hear any of the EAP versions of the songs when BtS arrives on Thursday at The Knitting Factory, but the band has been selling the EP at live shows. Though, just like last year’s tour, BtS is playing songs from its entire catalog, an anthology live set essentially, and only including a few songs from 2009's Built to Spill proper release, “There Is No Enemy.”

Still, the quasi-BtS remix anthology has been baffling bloggers, who have responded with mixed reviews.

Here’s a smattering of what some of the hipster heralds had to say about The Electronic Anthology Project:

Fom Consequenceofsound.net: “What do you get if you were to fire the band membes of Built to Spill and replace them with a Roland 808? The answer – or punch line – is The Electronic Anthology Project.”

From Sideonetrackone.com: “It could be just me, but I prefer the
(‘What If Your Dull’) version. It’s more dramatic and where the original felt sort of like a simplistic grunge track, the darker and electronic-centric arrangement here makes for one great headphone-worthy listen.”

From Exclaim.ca: “Have you ever wondered what Built to Spill would sound like if their signature three-guitar attack was replaced with synth-heavy electro pop sounds? Us neither.”

From Seattleweekly.com: “Is it blasphemous that I kind of love this?”

From browardpalmbeach.com: “Not too big of a surprise that the Idahoans would goof around with their format a bit after past stabs at reggae.” 

From Pitchfork.com: “The synths throughout are generally stuck on a single preset, and it appears to be the same used for the Flash Man stage of Mega Man II… ‘What If Your Dull’ turns ‘I Would Hurt a Fly’ into drowsy, menacing trip-hop, while ‘At the Where’ takes the disarming little love song, ‘The Weather,’ and make it sound like a moonlit distant cousin to Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time.’ If this were a side project and not a throwaway joke, it could be a great little album.”

From Deadasdigital.com: “However, if you enjoy these, and have not yet spent some time with Built to Spill’s back catalog, you are doing yourself a huge disservice.”

Built to Spill with Le Fleur tonight at 8 p.m. at The Knitting Factory Concert House. 919 W. Sprague.

Cost: $20 in advance, $22 day of show, through www.ticketfly.com.

A version of this story appeared in the Spokesman-Review Newspaper.