SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MIKE D – THANK YOU

MIKE D
THANK YOU
CAPITOL RECORDS/UNIVERSAL MUSIC CANADA

Since the untimely 2012 passing of Adam Yauch, perhaps better known as MCA, things have been relatively quiet among the Beastie Boys camp. While surviving members, Mike D and Ad-Rock have collaborated to deliver their acclaimed book, Beastie Boys Book in 2018, and worked with Spike Jonze on the 2020 documentary, Beastie Boys Story – accompanied by the compilation album, Beastie Boys Music – little material has emerged from the vaults with both Mike D and Ad-Rock remaining quiet. Thank You marks not only the debut solo effort from Mike D but also serves as the first original release from a Beastie Boy since the group’s final album, Hot Sauce Committee (Pt. 2) in 2011.

Mike D opens Thank You with the shifting beats of “Switch Up,” a song driven by jungle and drum and bass music. Living up to its title, the track morphs unexpectedly while feeling like a complete throwback to early B-boys culture. Mike D raps with a nimble flow around a kaleidoscope of electronic and instrumental textures emerging from every corner. In many ways, “Switch Up” feels like the spiritual successor of the sophomore cult classic that was Paul’s Boutique, as Mike D harnesses a sonic collage. In place of a sample heavy soundscape is something entirely original. The following track seemingly doubles down on this with a slightly less abstract and more bombastic approach. “What We Got” feels like classic Beasties with a series of digital sounds stacked atop distorted drums and fuzzy bass with Mike D taking a more central role.

Thank You is a highly unique album. Think avantgarde electronica meets old-school hip-hop. Through this lens, Mike D crafts a sound that pulls from an incredibly wide range of music – from rock to dub, jungle to funk, and pop to EDM. Thank You is a lush oasis that feels like modern acid rock and psychedelia performed through a digital lens. By eschewing conventional genre norms or even conventions that reside over popular music, Mike D has curated an incredibly eclectic body of work that priorities raw and unbridled creativity. In addition to the opening tracks, highlights include “True Colors,” “I Don’t Care,” and “Crypto,” and the closing, reflective ballad, “Thank You,” a love letter to one’s youth and, more specifically, the Beastie Boys.

Thank You is a fantastical debut effort and Mike D as the rapper makes a bold creative statement. In this sense, the record feels like even grander of an experiment; by rejecting a reprisal of the Beastie Boys sound, Mike D finds his own voice as an artist while crafting a sound that is not designed for mainstream consumption. While the Beastie Boys have always been an alternative and experimental force, Thank You pushes the limits as an entirely authentic and genuinely cool album that elevates Mike D’s stature from punky rap hooligan to electronic auteur.

Artist Links