For almost two decades now, the Beastie Boys have been proving to the world that white men can rap after all. Now that they're pushing 40, however, have the lippy New Yorkers got anything substantial left to say? Well, yes actually. On their first album for six years the trio sound as energised as they've ever been, mixing cheeky banter with street-smart poetry on these fast and furious meditations on global pop culture. Making this album in Manhattan in the aftermath of September 11 has also given them a slightly harder political edge then before, taking George Bush to task on everything from US imperialism to the Kyoto Protocol. The beats are crunchy, scratchy and often downright primitive, but that's not really the point. This is the Beasties' back to basics album, and while it won't win any new fans, it's a powerful reminder of what they can do when they put their minds to it. At one point, they assure their beloved New York 'you're still in the game.' They are, too
