jyan Kidwell, AKA Cex, is a whole lot of things, but predictable is not one of them. By now, everyone knows how underground techno’s uber-kid jokester reinvented himself into a one-man white-boy hip-hop extravaganza, first at his hilariously fun live shows and then on his album Tall Dark & Handcuffed. Now, his new EP Maryland Mansions finds Cex both continuing the frenetic pace of his releases and reinventing himself yet again... this time as Beck.

Beck? Yeah, you know, Beck. This new EP is surprisingly reminiscent of that other white-boy hip-hop circus freak, circa 1996’s genre-mashing breakthrough Odelay. The new sound, which is essentially a crunchier, darker variation of the rough-hewn hip-hop/techno of Kidwell’s recent work, is a perfect showcase for Cex’s fast-flowing raps and increasingly angry lyrics.

“Drive Off a Mountain” introduces the album with characteristic style, unleashing a chattery stream of whistling noise, static grit, and deadpan vocals. This, believe it or not, is the calm before the storm: after a brief interlude with acoustic guitar, tambourines, and tranquil vox, the song outright explodes into glitch-punk fury, with Cex screaming, “I never hit the brake” and “accelerate it all the way down.” This noisy catharsis leads somewhat improbably into the more flippant “Stop Eating,” which has a bouncy party vibe that hops along on an ass-shaking rhythm and raunchy rock n’ roll guitars. Cex sounds at home spitting his old-skool rhymes over this backing, and when he gets to the gross-out chorus (“Food is disgusting/ it’s what they make shit from/ you’re vomiting backwards”) you can practically see his manic grin and the glint of his gold tooth.

This party feel returns for the horn-flavored closer “The Strong Suit,” which tells the story of a reluctant traveling salesman (“I shouldn’t be here/ but since I am can I interest you in a little snake oil?”), both poignant and funny in the finest Cex style. For the rest of the EP, the sound is much darker and heavier, usually with just as effective results. “Kill Me,” with its quirky synth squirts, trashcan rhythms, and distorted vocals, most closely mimics Beck, while “New Maps” sounds improbably like a take-off on Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt,” but the rest of the songs have much more of an individual identity.

On “My Head,” Cex crafts a dark, melodic rocker driven by multi-tracked guitars and an insistent hip-hop beat. His vocals on the verse are some of his most affecting and emotional yet, while the anthemic chorus provides a break of desperate hope amid the quiet despondency. The guitars also weave their way through the similar “Take Pills,” where they’re undercut by subtle bursts of distortion and sheer noise. Cex’s recent experiments with folksy, emotional hip-hop songs is one of his most promising directions, and these two tracks perfectly represent this relatively new side of the singer’s personality.

Maryland Mansions is completely all over the place, ranging over the entirety of Cex’s current capabilities in the course of just eight tracks, and pointing the way towards some future synthesis that could finally provide the rapper with his first genuine masterpiece. He still has yet to find the truly unique, individual voice he’s been nobly searching for over his past few albums, but the fact that Cex is still trying and progressing in massive leaps with each new record is incredibly encouraging. This is a young musician obviously capable of many great things very soon, and even if this EP is just one step on the road to mastery, it’s an engaging, fun, and interesting pit stop along the way that deserves to be heard.