Urgent, anxious and angry, To The 5 Boroughs sounds like it needed to be made.  Coming a few years after the events of 9/11, the Beastie Boys have crafted a leaner, more nostalgic punch that is both a homage to the rap of their youth as well as the city that turned them into the artists they became. 

Gone are the experimental tracks and soul/funk jams.  In their place are hard, direct raps that speak to all the concerns, joys, and questions the band have been exploring since their earliest albums.  “Right Right Now Now” is a stone classic, and the minimalistic style of the music is indicative of the entirety of To The 5 Boroughs.  That being said this isn’t an album I come back often with the exception of a few songs since for the most part there’s a bit of narrowing of scope (intentionally) for the record.