At first it doesn't seem remarkable, just a short, little instrumental called "Return to Hot Chicken."

It's pleasant enough and all, but not great. And this album's supposed to be great.

Then the second track begins. Something called "Moby Octopad." Bouncy bass and drums open the song, and soon a guitar starts to moan in the background.

Husband and wife, guitarist Ira Kaplan and drummer Georgia Hubley's vocals blend with each other, twisting through the catchy, repetitive music.

Then the next 14 tracks continue through a whirlwind tour of brilliant psychedelic rock, experimental rock, indie rock and power pop.

This is I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One, Yo La Tengo's eighth and best album.

Innovation and experimentation abound as the band winds through nearly 70 minutes of flawless rock 'n' roll.

The styles change from one song to the next, but the brilliance is still there holding the album together, creating a cohesive masterpiece.

Yo La Tengo does it all on I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One.

On "Sugarcube," the band blasts out a great, little power-pop song.

The guitars squelch a little but still allow Kaplan to merrily sing his catchy lyrics, which at times are, basically, a life-enhancement to do list.

"Try to be more assured. Try to be more right there. Try to be less uptight. Try to be more aware," he sings.

Kaplan and Hubley both contribute their own beautiful, slow vocals on two other standout tracks -- Kaplan on "Damage" and Hubley on "Shadows."

On both songs the music flows atmospherically around the vocals, enchanting the listener.

Hubley's gentle coo on "Shadows" is reminiscent of Nico's work with the Velvet Underground.

Speaking of the Velvet Underground, ever wonder how they would've tackled a Beach Boys song?

Apparently Yo La Tengo did, because on their outstanding reverb-drenched, shoe-gazing cover of "Little Honda" they sound so much like the Velvets that you half-expect them to launch into "White Light/White Heat."

But instead the Beach Boys cover is followed by "Green Arrow," a sparse instrumental that features crickets chirping away throughout, which is a far cry from "White Light/White Heat."

No two songs on the album really sound alike.

On "Autumn Sweater" the band sounds almost electronic, as Kaplan's vocals slink under the music, just barely audible.

"Spec Bebop" shows the band jamming away for over 10 minutes on a purely psychedelic-sounding instrumental.

"Center of Gravity" is a catchy, poppy sing-along as Kaplan and Hubley sing back and forth.

The entire album is amazing to behold. The first listen sounds so incredible that it's hard to believe that, after subsequent listens, it sounds better. But that's exactly what happens.

I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One is a truly original musical experience.

Every track is something new, even 10 or 20 listens into the album.

Even when Yo La Tengo sounds like someone else, they manage to do it in a unique way. And with "Little Honda," they might just have the coolest cover ever recorded.

It could be one of the greatest indie rock albums ever, or maybe one of the greatest psychedelic rock albums, or maybe one of the greatest power pop records.

Or maybe all of the above.