New Music Reviews - 5/3/2011 - Beastie Boys, Architecture in Helsinki, and Shine 2009

Beastie Boys Hot Sauce Committee Part Two - New York's own Mike D, MCA, and Ad-Rock release a long-awaited new album of beats and raps for their eighth studio album.  Don't worry if you see the "Part Two" in the name of the album and are wondering how the first part sounded--nobody knows except the band because the first part has yet to be released.  As MCA put it in an e-mail to the band's fan club members, "Strange but true, the final sequence for Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 works best with all its songs replaced by the 16 tracks we originally had lined up in pretty much the same order we had them in for Hot Sauce Committee Part 1."

The album opens with "Make Some Noise" which unabashedly shows the band can continue the high energy music that we expect from them.  The song could fit stylistically onto almost any of their studio releases since License to Ill with its wah pedal-heavy guitar licks, real drummer beats, characteristic record scratching, and dual-vocalist rapping (although it'd probably best matched with something off Hello Nasty, which was the first album to include Mix Master Mike).  "Ok" has a fast tempo and builds off a 3-note guitar riff by expanding the guitar melody and infusing some catchy synthesizer work with more subdued vocal work.  "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" has a more Latin beat and features electronica/hip-hop artist Santigold providing backup vocals and vocals during the chorus for one of the more chill songs on the album.  "Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament" is the customary instrumental track which has a slow-jam feel where the slow drum beat and the synthesizer work dominate the sound although it's not as catchy as the instrumental tracks on their past albums. 


Hot Sauce Committee Part Two is decent album that manages to still be relevant today without forgoing the style that made them popular in their early years.  The style of music hasn't really altered over the nearly 25-years since they released their first album despite the fact that MCA looks really old nowadays (although Ad-Rock still pretty much looks the same).  However, despite the band's style remaining constant and the frenetic energy they are able to capture, the biggest problem with this album is that there are few standout tracks besides the two I mention below that will become long-term radio hits.  There's a lot of decent songs in the tenor that we expect from the band but, especially in comparison to some of their great albums like Ill Communication and Paul's Boutique, there are only one or two tracks that will be Beastie Boy classics.  


Score:  7.5/10
Song(s) to Sample:  "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win"(ft. Santigold) and "Make Some Noise" [sample it below or click here to watch the hilarious video featuring actors Seth Rogan, Elijah Wood, and Danny McBride--plus about a dozen more famous actors]

Architecture in Helsinki Moment Bends -  Don't be fooled by the band's name like I was originally, Architecture in Helsinki is an indie pop group from Melbourne, Australia.  I saw the band a handful of years ago when they were the opening act for either Death Cab for Cutie or The Polyphonic Spree and although I didn't become a fan of the band at that time I do recall thinking they were one of the better opening acts I saw that year.  This 12-track release is their fourth studio album overall.

"Escapee" starts off the album with a super catchy melody that starts slowly with drum machine beats plus a keyboard melody and then smartly layers on guitar, synthesizer and vocals to create an immediately charming song.  "Contact High" is the first single off the album where the lead's falsetto singing voice is altered even further at parts to go with the jaunty electro and synthesizer-heavy melody that leads to a fun summer pop dance song.  These songs segue to tracks like "W.O.W." (which stands for 'walking on water' and not the MMORPG game by Blizzard) and "Sleeptalkin'" which have slower tempos and more muted slants that don't quite qualify as pop ballads but are closer to that in style than the fast paced opening electro-heavy songs. 

Moment Bends is an mostly consistent album that manages to have more bright spots than dim spots.  The album has a strong indie pop/electropop feel with extensive use of both digital and analog instruments like real and fake drums, synthesizers, hand clapping, and samplers to help bring a very lush electro sound to many of the tracks.  The tracks feature either a male or female lead on vocals but rarely do they share the singing duties with dual-vocal harmonies being rare.  The album does get bogged down some in the middle but there are enough good stuff at the beginning and towards the end that the disc easily earns a passing grade.

Score:  7/10
Song(s) to Sample:  "Escapee" [sample it below] and "Out of Focus"

Shine 2009 Realism - Unlike the band above, Shine 2009 actually does come from Helsinki, Finland.  This is Shine 2009's debut album although they did have a popular EP that was released last year.  One of the fans of the EP, Paula Abdul, provides guest vocals on a track from this album.  Don't be put off though if you're not a fan of the former 'American Idol' judge as the music the band gives us is  in the style of downtempo electronica with subdued lyrics present on every track and has little-to-no resemblance to the stuff Paula puts out. 

The album opens with "Graduation" which has a downtempo beat  with soul-heavy grooves and sounds similar in style to a Saint Etienne song but with more a prominent male vocal track.  "So Free," the song featuring Paula Abdul, has a simple drum kit beat with well integrated keyboard and guitar sequences during various sections of the refrain.  Abdul pretty much just provides backing and chorus vocals and even with only that small role it still sounds like her vocal track has been digitally washed such that it was hard to notice her usually recognizable voice.  "New Rules" has a house/trance sound with a nu jazz beat plus funky bass and electric guitar work over the samples, chamber music instruments, and non-standard ones too (like a cowbell) to create one of the more engaging songs on the album. 

Realism is very good debut album that has a smooth sound perfect for winding down after a hard partying night.  The songs on the album have a enjoyable downtempo feel with some soul and house music influences present on many of the tracks.  The whole album is like a gentle ride; the songs segue comfortably from one another without too many highs or lows to put you through an emotional roller coaster leaving you in a genial disposition by the time its all over.  In their future releases, one would hope and expect to see greater differentiation in style over an entire album but even if they just give you more cool jams like the ones found on this album it will still be worth picking up.

Score:  8.5/10
Song(s) to Sample:  "Graduation" and "New Rules" [sample it below]