Norwegian Wood vinyl

Two years on from the release of their debut seven-inch on Names You Can Trust, cumbia combo Agrupcion Ilegal Los Amparciales returns with something bizarre but utterly brilliant: a psychedelic cumbia cover version of The Beatles' classic "Norwegian Wood". It shouldn't work, of course, but it does, with the familiar melody - sung and played on electric guitars manipulated to sound a little like sitars - rising above a heavy bassline, layered Colombian percussion, reggae style organ stabs and party style whoops and hollers. B-side "Darker Shade of Black" is basically a pitched-down, beefed-up dub with the track's previously subtle reggae elements pushed to the fore.