Capturing the intensity and spontaneity of a “live band” on record is a tough and rare feat, especially in the age of overproduction and lengthy recording sessions. Marrel Of Bonkeys, then, is as refreshing as it is exhilarating. The album’s eight songs capture the furious, sweaty math-rock goodness of any Man Your Horse house party in deliciously overdriven detail. The duo benefit immensely from the time invested in working out the perfect fuzz tones, et al.

The chirps and clicks that open “Jamma Ray” don’t accurately prepare the listener for the cascades of looped guitar jamming or machine-gun drumming, but a sense of comfort will sink in by the third or fourth tempo change. While some songs are so manic they border on stretched-out jam sessions, Man Your Horse are at their best when weird effects pedals and blissed-out upbeat melodies provide a natural narrative structure to cling to. There are so many brilliant sounds to watch out for on this record–the 8-bit echo intro to “Donkey Hotey”, or the epic melody in (the ridiculously named) “May The Horse Be With You” – that audiophiles are going to be dancing to the tracks on repeat all summer.