Fongo

Peruvian cumbia (or chicha) is the hedonistic cousin of its Colombian counterpart, adding electric guitar and organ to make a sound that is closer to the 60s surf guitar craze or garage rock, while also possessing a romantic streak in its use of Andean huayno melodies. London– based Los Chinches try their hand at both of these forms on debut album Fongo, capturing the probing psychedelia of chicha pioneers Los Destellos on the title-track and on ‘La Serpiente Negra, both perfectly judged mixes of strong rhythms, controlled playing and inquisitive melodies. On romantic tracks such as ‘Romantica Amazonica’ and ‘Señorita, Can You Tell?’ the band sound just as good, but are often let down by the vocals, guilty of sounding flat and devoid of character. Strangely, some of the album’s highlights come when the sound veers away from cumbia; ‘El Longing’ is an amazing Shadows-esque instrumental pop tune and the psych-tastic ‘Mueva Calor’ could be The Nice in disguise. This experimentation doesn’t always work, however, and another vocal-led track – the saccharine ‘Be Still My Beating Corazon’ – is a misstep.

But overall these are minor criticisms. Los Chinches have gained a reputation as a potent live band in London and though this doesn’t always come across on the album, there are enough solid tracks and successful experiments here to show that they are just a couple of song choices away from putting out a great album.