We’re back…with an album I intended to cover a few weeks ago, so I’m going off the few notes I scribbled down concerning Hello Nasty, the 1998 melange of styles brought to the table by the one, the only, Beastie Boys.  Breaking out of the grungy soul/funk hybrids that made up Check Your Head and Ill Communication,  things go a little more old school 80s with a lot more traditional sampling and scratching, but the imprint of what the band did is unmistakable. 

The front half of Hello Nasty is loaded to the gills with hits like “Super Disco Breakin,” “Remote Control,” and “Intergalactic.”  So it’s little surprise how drawn I am to what comes after, starting with low-key and menacing “Sneakin’ Out the Hospital.”  As incredible as the Boys are when it comes to rhymes and hits, the way those numbers are interspersed with more experimental, trippy tracks are make each album unique and worthwhile.  Vocal tracks like “And Me” move with a twitchy, anxious gait while “I Don’t Know” feels psychedelic and laid back on the surface, only to simmer with anticipation as it leads into “the Negotiation Limerick File.”

As I continue to try and find a way forward with my future I’m finding more and more comfort coming back to music that made an impact on me when I was younger.  The Beastie Boys did that in spades, and Hello Nasty feels a little like being home, not worrying about anything except what to play next.