Friendship Richter Collective ****Time was, The Redneck Manifesto were the best instrumental band in Ireland.

In the four years since their last release, however, the landscape has changed; young bucks such as And So I Watch You from Afar now dominate the scene, while contemporaries The Jimmy Cake continue to refine their craft admirably.

So it’s just as well that the quintet’s fourth album is a well-formed gem.

Friendshipmay not have the intermittent incendiary riffs of predecessor I Am Brazil, but it's the most evenly paced Rednecks album to date.

They've also discovered their inner groove – funky basslines abound on the irresistible Black Appleand Smile More,while Rubber Upchanges pace several times to exhilarating effect. There are even flashes of gentle Afrobeat, electronica and Fujiya & Miyagi-style krautrock.

With friends like these, there's no such thing as enemies. myspace.com/redneckmanifesto 

Download tracks: Black Apple, Rubber Up