El Michels Affair – Return To the 37th Chamber album review: Hip-hop covers with attitude

Leon Michels and his band have made hay with the work of the Wu-Tang Clan before.

Between previous records like 2009's Enter the 37th Chamber and their live backing for collective and individual Wu endeavours, the Big Crown house band have shown there's considerable fun to be had as a funk and soul band covering sampled beats by the hip-hop act who sampled old funk and soul acts in the first place.

There's plenty of grit and sweat in the dusty grooves here as they push hard with tracks like 4th Chamber and Verbal Intercourse, while there's cuteness and guile to relish in how they tackle tracks like Iron Man and Drums For Sale.

They even have the suss to bring in vocalists Lee Fields, Shannon Wise and Lady Wray to supply the Joe Tex, Wendy Rene and Mary J Blige grace notes on Snakes, Tearz and All I Need. True blue Shaolin soul. facebook.com/ElMichelsAffair