Part Chimp / Torche

Acting as the swansong for British noise rock outfit Part Chimp, this split successfully keeps the heaviness at record levels without sacrificing melody or catchiness. Just ask Torche, who make for worthy bedfellows on this release ― the three Guided By Voices covers these Floridian kings of doom-pop offer up are a more than suitable follow-up to the increasingly accessible output of their more recent releases. The renditions are kept relatively faithful to the originals, but with an added injection of thickness, definition and feedback, these serve as worthy updates. Part Chimp's final two recordings close out the record, featuring walls of sludgy guitars and swampy, slow grooves that would sound at home on an Electric Wizard album. They are tied together with a clean-toned, eccentric vocal delivery and some guitar-driven oddities that create an interesting last glimpse of a band that have undoubtedly been a purveyor of unique sounds.