Beastie Boys, The Mix-Up

Twenty-five years into their career, hip hop's elder statesmen return with their seventh studio album. 2004's To The 5 Boroughs was a refreshing return to programmed beats and their triangular-mic technique. This time, though, Mike D, Adam Horovitz and Adam Yauch have dropped the mic and picked up guitar, bass and drums, returning to the jazz-tinged instrumentals explored on Check Your Head and The In Sound From Way Out!. Even then, such jams worked best as interludes between vocal attacks, rather than stand-alone pieces. For fans only then.