Superfjord / Sendelica - Zappa: Peaches En Regalia / Don't Eat The Yellow Snow

This split single tackles two of Frank’s better-known and best-loved tracks, reimagining them as an acid rock barnstormer (Finland’s Superfjord) and a Sabbathian monster head pounder (prolific Welsh combo and longtime Fruits De Mer contributors, Sendelica). Superfjord add an electronic, progressive vibe to Zappa’s cinematic, jazzy instrumental (originally released on Hot Rats) that gives it a nice, Yes/ELP groove. Stellar guitar work combines with fancy keyboard runs that combine a little Canterbury Scene headiness with an elegant, neo-classical sheen that works on many different levels.

Karen Langley (Babel) raps through Zappa’s giddy ode to canine piss over Sendelica’s throbbing, escalating crunch, at once both ominously stealthy and full-on big boot boogie. Langley occasionally oversteps her remit and turns her performance into an audition for a West End musical – just a tad too emotionally overwrought for my taste. Her heart (and lungs) are in the right place, but a little more restraint might have gone a lot further.