Sound Bite: "Hot Sauce Committee Part Two"

The Beastie Boys has officially become “old school.” Its brand of funky, heavy, guitar-tinged hip-hop faded off the radio airwaves years ago, relegated to the same cultural graveyard as boom boxes, Lollapalooza and other facets of the ’90s.

However, nostalgia can be a band’s best friend. It’s the only reason the Backstreet Boys can still put together successful tours or that Journey can continue to release albums more than 30 years after their heyday. After one listen, it becomes quite obvious that The Beastie Boys’ oft-delayed latest effort, “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two,” is designed to appeal to the listener’s sense of nostalgia.

With the exception of a slightly greater emphasis on electronic effects, this album offers nothing new from The Beastie Boys. It represents a return to the band’s tried-and-true formula that made albums like “Licensed to Ill” and “Ill Communication” such big hits.

However, this isn’t a fault; rather, it’s an asset. The Beastie Boys’ last album, 2007’s “The Mix-Up,” was an entirely instrumental album that confused and alienated many a listener. While it is true that “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two” would have been heavily criticized as being unoriginal or unadventurous if had come out 10 or 15 years ago, the Beastie Boys has been gone from the game just long enough for their hardcore punk approach to hip-hop music to sound fresh.

The album’s opening track, “Make Some Noise,” is essentially a microcosm of the entire album. As soon as the song opens with its distorted keyboard intro, it seems as if the listener has taken a time machine back to the ’90s. “Make Some Noise” has everything a Beastie Boys fan could ask for: distortion, heavy rhythm and heavy-hitting party”“themed lyrics, and motifs that are echoed in many other tracks, most notably “OK” and “Say It.” By the end of the first song, The Beastie Boys effectively assuages any fear that this album would represent a radical change in its music.

The album then transitions into “Nonstop Disco Powerpack,” another strong track with a more laidback beat, simpler bass line and strong emphasis on the band’s witty lyricism.

Both Nas and Santigold make guest appearances on “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two.” Nas is featured on the track “Too Many Rappers,” a dense, layered song that alternates between the abrasive yelling of the Beastie Boys and the comparatively smooth flow of Nas. Santigold lends her vocals to “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win,” a strongly reggae-influenced romp that features Santigold in the chorus and backgrounds, while the Beastie Boys handles the verses.

The Beastie Boys also pays homage to its punk roots with the song “Lee Majors Come Again,” a fast-paced, guitar-driven song with an intricate bass line that is more ’70s punk than ’90s hip-hop.

The album ends with the strangeness of “The Lisa Lisa/Full Force Routin,” a 50-second track that switches beats in the middle and includes a short rap involving money, snack packs and New York City.

Lyrically, the album spends a great deal of time on issues relating to partying, the band’s superiority to other rappers and their general devil-may-care attitude. While not unexpected, it is a bit of letdown considering the band’s last lyrical effort ““ 2004’s “To the 5 Boroughs,” which featured a great amount of politically charged lyrics that were critically well-received.

All in all, “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two” finds The Beastie Boys where they were about 20 years ago, and that’s exactly where they need to be.

““ Niran Somasundaram
Email Somasundaram at [email protected].