There has been a raging debate as to whether or not artists who make “collage music”—and I use “artists” purposefully because there isn’t that much musicianship in it—should be fined and tried and tarred and feathered for what they do. Is it copyright infringement? Is it stealing? Do the musicians they steal from really care that much? This humble writer doesn’t care, nor do I think they should be bothered, unless the collages they make aren’t exciting. For my money, the most successful artists I’ve heard that combine found and known tracks into something sonically pleasing are The Avalanches—it’ll be a cold day in Phoenix before I give Greg Gillis any credit—but many artists will try and try again. People Like Us (more specifically, Vicki Bennett) is one such artist, and her newest album, Welcome Abroad, is a mishmash and hodgepodge of music that dives and careens through many decades of music with few attention-grabbing elements.

No doubt collage artists are sick of being compared to their popular counterpart Girl Talk, and Bennett does a good job of staying far away from the dance-mess hipster-bang of that artist. She is more akin to The Avalanches—choosing to create sonic landscapes of doo-wop, horn sections, The Beatles, and The Doors rather than putting dance beats behind Elton John. There is a lack of desire to return, however. There aren’t many tracks that draw the listener’s attention or put forth much aural creativity.

Bennett wrote Welcome Abroad while she was trapped in Europe due to the Iceland volcano fiasco a year ago, and the longing for home and comfort is a prevalent theme throughout the album. From the inclusion of John Denver’s “Country Roads” in “Happy Lost Songs” to the track titled “Stuck in the USSR”, it’s hard to miss the album’s viewpoint.

The 17-track album isn’t a complete waste, though, and it doesn’t completely lack creativity. As an artistic piece, it definitely has merit and creative elements. The biggest weakness is few musical twists or surprises. The tracks chug along and stay in their mode from start to finish. The profile of the album on Soundcloud says: “While recent mashup culture often centers on the instant gratification of seamlessly juxtaposing hooks, People Like Us tracks transform the source material into collages that are equal parts dissonance and pleasure, making artful commentaries on our culture and Bennett’s own existential amusement within such a wondrous world.” While it’s nice and all to avoid hook after hook for no reason, there has to be something to hook a listener. Don’t avoid so much that the album becomes a void.