The first thing to know about Deathfix is that it’s the new project of former Fugazi and Rites of Spring drummer Brendan Canty, who picks up guitar and vocal duties here. The second thing to know is that their sound is nowhere close to Canty’s heavy past, instead favoring sprawling prog, psych-pop, and a touch of glam.

At a commanding nine minutes, lead single “Transmission” rests most comfortably in the prog category with its heroic guitar blasts and steady climb to climax. Member Richard Morel is a dance producer by day, and his enriching touch on the track leads to its full-blooded boldness. Through its instrumental twists and churning melodies, “Transmission” works as a modern idiosyncratic heartbeat of the prog past.

For the other stuff — the psych and glam flourishes — venture to opener “Better Than Bad,” which raises the curtain with fuzzy ‘60s throwback psych. The tune is propelled by chunky guitar riffs and garage-y rhythm contributions from drummer Devin Ocampo and bassist Mark Cisneros, a trend that continues until “Hospital,” a colorful snapshot of the titular care unit that’s as charming and homey as a Norman Rockwell painting. Rich Morel’s low-register rasp can be heard on “Low Lying Dreams,” during which a brooding background pulse counteracts his lively melody.

Things take a strange turn with “Dali’s House,” a rambling piece of slow disco outfitted with glam guitars and general nonsense. Despite a lyrical dig at James Murphy, the track actually recalls LCD Soundsystem’s dance floor languidity and loose namedropping, as Morel’s laconic vocals mention everyone from Louis C.K. and Kanye, to Nico and Franz Kafka. Despite its initial entertainment value, “Dali’s House” is ultimately a fun trip emptier than the current cold floors of Studio 54.

Deathfix can at first seem like a cracked mirror, fragmenting riffs and rollicking drumbeats in scattered, non-related directions. But as a collection of age, wisdom, and musical diversity, the quartet appears creative and driven to maintain its pluralism. Sort next to David Bowie’s Low and T. Rex’s Electric Warrior, but take Deathfix for what it is: a just-for-fun experiment.

(Dischord Records, 3819 Beecher St. NW, Washington, DC 20007-1802)