Singapore Sling

It’s been said that if you play a Beach Boys LP at 45 rpm you’ll hear the Ramones. It’s also been said that if you play the Ramones through distortion at three-quarters speed you’ll hear the Jesus & Mary Chain. Somewhere in these convoluted revolutions and references you’ll hear Icelandic sextet Singapore Sling employing mottled elements of all three: surf guitar and pop harmonies buried under mounds of buzz, shriek and hum. Perfectly dense and dark, the album’s more than enough to make you overlook the title which, in sticking to the theme, sounds pretty close to a Black Rebel Motorcycle Club song, and is far from the only thing the contemporaries have in common.