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Well, obviously. A laudable upgrade, given how much they're repeating--hell, even sampling--themselves. No, there's no "Gratitude"-style rockhoppers to sabotage what's largely a return to the t
Only in Canada could such an iconic band be so nondescript. I mean, the Tragically Hip play rock music, and you can't qualify it in any way. It's pretty good rock music, mind you, and it's slyly unconventional (see Rush or, Bands: Canadian: Rock: Consistency). But reviewing a new Hip album is like standing on a coastal beach to check on the movement of tectonic plates: you know the continent's moving, you know it's monumental, but damned if you can see anything for the crashing of the waves. Gord Downie would like that metaphor. 6.5/10 (Chris Yurkiw) Q-Burn's Abstract Message Oeuvre EP (Mephisto/Astralwerks) Well, he's a bit pretentious--I mean, he called his EP Oeuvre, and the word "abstract" is in his moniker. But any producer who can mix pan flutes, live hand claps, emotive '80s synth tones, breaks and cute samples that go "Hey!" is a friend of mine. Q DJs at Skint's Big Beat Boutique. But he's also got this intellecto thing going. So you can guess this ain't your average set of partay break-in-yo-face old-skoolin' trax. Nope, spelling's all right here. And the sound? Delicate macho music? Big beat petite musique? Deep with a duuuh factor? The Freestylers gone to uni? Uh, yeah! How very cool. 9/10 (Mireille Silcott) Def Squad El Niño (Def Jam/BMG)
The infamous Def Squad finally steps up with their first collective product, spraying all MCs with their collective spunk. Redman never fails, and will have you hanging on every word. Keith Murray is also on point, even though he's a little more predictable lyrically, while Erick Sermon brings up the rear with his mushmouth styles and notorious production. Check "Countdown" for some ripe one-liners and another interpretation of that wicked overused Labi Siffre sample. 7/10 (Scott C)
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Beastie Boys Hello Nasty (Grand Royal/EMI)
ried-and-true racks of Paul's Boutique. That said, you've got 'nuff other weirdness going on, like Latin lite ("Song for Junior"), luvvy folk-pop ("I Don't Know") and the indefinable "And Me." All so Money Mark, that stuff. And then there's the space-trip traxx, the video game samples, the cool guests and the rhymes. The rhymes! I think my boy Schacter (aka Darth Seder) put it best when he said, "A new Beasties album is like... like... like they put out a new book of Talmud or something!" 9.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
The Tragically Hip Phantom Power (Universal)