Hello Nasty

I'm in awe of how the Beastie Boys can make each album different from the last, but still remain true to who they are. Whatever that may be. When listening to any one of their efforts, you get the feeling that even though one track may be hardcore, the next rap, and the next (Could it be?) light crooning that each one is made in earnest without any pretension. (Musically speaking. Lyrically, the boys are famous for their sarcasm and irony.) Hello Nasty has a very techno, Eurotrash feel when stood next to their other albums. Instruments are played, but it doesn't have the garage band sound that Check Your Head and Ill Communication occasionally presented. This is a long album, my one complaint, and I find myself skipping around a lot more than I normally do, but it's a solid, if not great, effort. Rhymes remain fun and silly but there is a hint of maturity and change. Compare "Song for the Man" with Licensed to Ill's "Girls". Both are sung by Adrock (aka Adam Horovitz). "Girls" was a silly ditty written by a teenage boy with too many raging hormones. It's almost as if "Song for the Man" was written by Horovitz circa 1998 FOR the Horovitz of 1986 after listening to "Girls" again. Beastie Boys, maturing? Wonders will never cease. Another point of interest is the song "I Don't Know" sung (Yes, again, there is some singing) by MCA (aka Adam Yauch) expressing indecision and uncertainty, most unlike every other rap MC on the planet. This uniqueness and individuality would keep the Beastie Boys a step ahead even without the insane command of beats (They aren't called "the scientists of sound" for nothing!) and clever lyrics. However, never fear, the Beasties are still the lovable little punks with the same goofy senses of humor that they were when they first invaded the scene. It's just now they have some hindsight.

This is a decent record, but for my ears it is too cluttered. The Beasties definitely need an edit feature - they could make another Paul's Boutique if they excised some of the superflouous stuff.

After so many years in activity, the Beastie Boys are still able to deliver a solid and ungaging record, offering another mix of styles and ideas.
"Hello Nasty" is long and diverse, proving that the Boys remain witty, original and interesting. This is a rich, multi-layered listening experience, a tight and consistent record with some true gems even if the filler material is also considerable.

Experimental moments like "Instant Death" or "And Me" are strange yet addictive. "I Don't Know" is a pleasant little song, "Song For Junior" stars as a curious and warm instrumental and "Can`t, Won`t, Don`t Stop" shows that the band has power and strenght to continue surprising and innovating. "Intergalactic" and "Body Movin`" are both energetic and impressive singles as well.
However, the album runs for a bit too long, containing 22 tracks and some of them are not that captivating, making for a couple of bland and skippable moments ("Flowin` Prose", "Unite", "Dedication").

As a whole, though, "Hello Nasty" is certainly a winner, a worthwile combo of sounds, influences and rythms, building an ecclectic and exciting release that has much to recommend. While the straight hip hop soundscapes are somewhat reduced in this record, the group tests and plays with new elements and variations, going for a wider direction.
Appealing nastiness.