Beastie Boys - 'Hot Sauce Committee Part Two' (Capitol) Released: 02/05/11

Whenever a new Beastie Boys record drops it feels just like Christmas. Not because the record store clerk who sold it to you was a jolly fat guy with a white fluffy beard, instead it has more to do with the fact that it’s such an exciting time of the year for everybody. Realistically there aren’t too many people who don’t like the Beastie Boys, and to those that don’t... Bah! Humbug!

More men than boys these days, especially since they’ve been making music together since 1979, ‘Hot Sauce Committee Part Two’ feels like a coming of age project. With that said, it’s not the lyrical content that gives you this impression, it’s more the production element and the way the group have combined all of the sounds they’ve experimented with over the years – rock, hip-hop, reggae, electro, to name but a few, and made what almost sounds like the ultimate mash up album.

Proving the true hip-hop elements are still alive and well, the turntable and a mic route on opening cut ‘Make Some Noise’ is well received. While it’s a road less travelled by many of today’s hip-hop crop, the Beastie’s add some funky instrumentation to give it a dose of relevance and a taste of things to come. Not known for their rap collaborations as such, ‘Too Many Rappers (New Reactionaries Version)’ hears the New York threesome team up with Queensbridge emcee Nas. Not rapping on the usual soul-inspired instrumentals that he’s used to, Nasty Nas instead goes back and forth with his hometown neighbours complaining that there’s, “Too many rappers but there’s still not enough emcees,” over a futuristically on-point electronic arrangement. Each in their forties and still putting out solid music, Mike D, MCA, and Ad-Rock even find time to hook up with Santigold on the Caribbean-tinted gem ‘Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win’.  

While this album is overpowered by hip-hop, the band doesn’t totally abandon their punk rock roots. ‘Lee Majors Come Again’ is a speedy guitar-enthused offering that mirrors the work put out on their 1992 classic ‘Check Your Head’. Guitar fight riffs, distorted speaker effects, and tempo shattering vocals make it a safe haven for those fans that prefer ‘Ill Communication’ to ‘Paul’s Boutique’. The guitars don’t stop there however. Immediately following it is the instrumental ‘Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament’. Featuring no lyrics whatsoever, although there is an array of Transformer-esque samples that could be translated if listened to at close range, it plays like an after dinner coffee, or Bailey’s, for those not ready to let the hardened rock leave their ear canal.

Being away from the spotlight for a while, whether it was to work on other endeavours – Adam Yauch aka MCA made basketball documentary ‘Gunnin’ For That No.1 Spot’ in ’08, hasn’t hindered the group’s ability to stay relevant. Rap’s original rock stars, the Beastie Boys are experienced enough to know what works and what doesn’t, and while ‘Hot Sauce Committee Part Two’ won’t be a massive chart smash, fans of the group, as well as fans of original and extremely experimental hip-hop, will love it – think Jurassic 5 meets The Go! Team.