Hello Nasty

iTunes Review

Both retro and futuristic, the Beasties' fifth album is another display of postmodern wizardry. Casting their cultural net ever wider, the trio embraces an electro-beat sound that is decidedly non-organic, full of computerized bleeps and blurps, and a stunning array of bizarre samples. The opening "Super Disco Breakin'" sets the mood, a mix of droning synthesizers and lively old-school beats. "Intergalactic" opens with effects straight out of a low-budget sci-fi flick, then adds an eerie church-organ loop and darting snippets of synthetic sound. "Remote Control" rides atop a '70s-style stadium-rock riff, while "Body Movin'" has a souped-up groove and subtle Calypso vibe thanks to skating-rink keyboards. "Scratch" Perry himself shows up on "Dr. Lee, PhD," which sounds like some sort of outer-space reggae. This time, the Beasties let the machines win, letting the electronics swirl while the boys sit and spit as many pop-culture references as they can muster. It's all packed together tightly, like the sardines on the cover.