The title of the New Pornographers’s fifth album suggests inclusiveness and solidarity. The Canadian super-group’s Together is an effort to include a wider array of musical influences, but in doing so the band has strayed from their power pop roots.

Unfortunate, because Challenger showcased how the singing talents of Newman, Neko Case and Dan Bejar could work so well when complemented with a capable string section. Together swaps the violin for the metal guitar. The song “Your Hands (Together)” features a heavy reverb, which fits better on Rock Band 3 than Vancouver. Yet the New Pornographers actually acquit themselves of heresy on this first single, successfully infusing a new sound into their repertoire. However, every other song attempts to incorporate these heavy chords as well, without as much skill. Ultimately, these other songs fail and tear Together asunder.

The other problem facing the band is how to go about fitting three very talented “lead” singers into 45 minutes of music. The three singers have each shown their ability to take center stage in their various side projects, but Together never really seems to synthesize their abilities like previous works did. Even worse, all these efforts of togetherness keep Case from belting out a great tune like “Valkyrie in the Roller Disco.”

Add into that cacophony a series of cameos from indie rock heavyweights like Zach Condon, Annie Clark and Will Sheff, the band might have an opportunity to redeem themselves. Indeed, with this firepower, one could expect an epic ballad from the album. Yet with all these unique and disparate voices singing, the New Pornographers can’t seem to harness the chorus and pull it together.