Thank You

Beastie BoysのMike Dが2011年以来となる初のフルアルバム『Thank You』をリリース!

本作はMike Dの新たな音楽的挑戦と進化を凝縮した注目作。
自宅スタジオでの自由な発想から生まれた実験的なレコーディングセッションを原点に、革新的なポストエレクトロニック・サウンドと中毒性のあるメロディを融合させた全12曲を収録。

Mike Dならではの唯一無二のボーカルがジャンルの枠を超えた音の遊び場へとリスナーを誘います。

After the death of Adam Yauch in 2012, Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz have reminisced on their days as Beastie Boys by publishing a highly entertaining, must-read memoir and filming a documentary with longtime collaborator Spike Jonze. Theyve remained active musically, mainly by playing in friends bands and remixing material by other artists. Thank You is the first proper full-length by a member of the group (not counting the invented-backstory private-press novelty Country Mikes Greatest Hits), and it appeared shortly after Mike D made a surprise appearance performing with his sons band, Very Nice Person. Skyler and Davis Diamond are part of Mikes backing unit, Mike D 5D, along with other friends from the L.A. music scene. While the megaphone-distorted vocals, fuzzed-out guitars, and booming beats wont sound unfamiliar to anyone whos been a fan of the Beasties from Check Your Head onward, Mike takes a much looser, more spontaneous approach to lyric-writing on his own. The songs generally feel like they were born from off-the-cuff jam sessions, with Mike and his associates focusing on ear-catching sounds and busy grooves rather than deep messages. Mike gets a little reflective, remarking that it feels good to go solo on the storming "What We Got" and flashing back to the days when he and his bandmates "were just kids figuring it out" on the title track, which surprisingly melds acoustic guitars with an upbeat dembow rhythm. On the two-part "Secrets," he implies that he has secrets but doesnt reveal any further information, other than that hes happy. This seems like an appropriate statement for the album as a whole, as there are no revelations to be found here, but its still a fun ride. "Switch Up" is a tasty big beat flashback, and "True Colors" has buzzy, vintage-sounding organs and loud, funky drums, bringing to mind the mock-vintage sound of the Beasties instrumentals. "Thats Right" is dirty, blasted-out electro, and "Crypto" (the albums only real attempt at social commentary) switches between an electroclash banger and a tripped-out trap cut. "Here We Are" nimbly adapts jittery, footwork-style beats to more earnest, melodic singing and ringing guitar melodies, making for one of the records sweetest surprises. Thank You seems like its made for the type of die-hard Beastie Boys fan who misses all the weird one-offs and side projects Grand Royal used to release, or owns multiple Money Mark solo albums. It doesnt attempt to do what the Beastie Boys did, but its an enjoyable, creative effort that ultimately looks forward more than backward. ~ Paul Simpson