Various Artists: The Sound of Siam

Soundway Records has made a name for itself the past few years as a premier outlet for obscure strains of popular music from around the world. The Sound of Siam, the label’s first release from the Asian continent, doesn’t disappoint. Its contents more often sound like upside-down deconstructions of America pop songs from the ’60s and ’70s than what you might have in mind for indigenous Thai music. In addition to adventurous “world” music fans, there’s another clear audience for this: zonked-out psych listeners who have worked their way through all the Nuggets releases and back again will find plenty of new flavors here.