Animal Collective - Who Could Win A Rabbit

Possibly the Animal Collective's easiest to digest moment, 'Who Could Win A Rabbit' is one of the standout moments from not only the recent 'Sung Tongs' piece, but their entire back catalogue of boundary-stretching music.

After their disturbing head-fuck past that included 'Danse Manatee' - a batch of weird and wonderful noise-scapes, which both delighted and confused in equal proportions, 'Sung Tongs' paid homage to a hybrid of acid-folk, tribal rhythms, slacker country and Krautrock.

'Who Could A Rabbit' is a collage of the band's vast musical influences, all sounding like they're played at the wrong speed. There's gritty, de-tuned acoustic guitars, quirky chord changes and indecipherable lyrics, with an off-key vocal range - that more often than not, questions the band's genuine attitude to music, or simply a case of mere piss-taking. Although their notable experimental edge quickly rules out the latter.

B-Side 'Baby Day' is a spiralling, beat-led answer to a modern day Beach Boys track. It's a brilliant, original mess of Wilson harmonies and cyclic Kraut rhythms, whilst sparse guitars shimmer and an almost marching band approach to a rhythm section dictates most of the lead.

There's no telling where this band are headed next, but that's the beauty of The Animal Collective's magical charm, they really always will sound like no other, ever.

8/10