Beastie Boys
Hot Sauce Committee, Part Two
Capitol
Twenty-four years after their debut, the Beastie Boys are now middle aged - and they know it. 'Grandpa been rapping since '83,' they bark at one point on their eighth album Hot Sauce Committee, Part Two.
The catch is, they certainly don't act it. Their latest, originally scheduled to be released in 2009 but delayed due to Adam Yauch's bout with cancer, recalls the bouncy, silly, catchy hip hop of yore, but is filled with scintillating production values, courtesy of French producer Philippe Zdar (who was responsible for Phoenix's latest release).
If there's a template for their latest, it's 1993's Check Your Head, as the 17 songs are filled with constant sound effects, dub echo, raw beats and low riding bass. The vocal tradeoffs between MCA (Yauch), who sounds notably gruff, Ad-Rock and Mike D are filled with distortion and sound as if they're designed for a beer-strewn dance floor where the lights were knocked out. 'The proof is in the pudding and the pudding's in my pants' is as deep as it gets lyrically.
The album's a head bobber throughout as the trio seem determined to have fun, even if they're hardly breaking new ground. Lead single Make Some Noise, with bass-squelching beats and low synth chorus, is the album's undeniable highlight. But there are several other treasures, including Santogold's guest appearance on the reggae-flavoured Don't Play No Game I Can't Win and the trashy pogoing punk ode Lee Majors Come Again.
By the Beasties' standards, Hot Sauce is no masterpiece, but the album's got plenty of flavour that should last well into the summer months and beyond.
