Album Reviews

"What it is, what it is, come check the noise. It’s the new black version of the Beastie Boys."

Truer words have never been spoken. The Cool Kids are not going to change your life. They’re not going to illuminate some downtrodden corner of the urban jungle with socially conscious rhymes. They are, however, going to light up your sub with their stripped-down production and make you crack more than a few smiles at the sheer silliness of their demeanor.

Direct comparison to hip-hop’s original white boy phenoms may be a bit premature, and they’re not quite as clever or pop-conscious deep as The Beastie Boys, but The Cool Kids are just 20-years-old. Give them time. It’s unquestionable that they are poised to take the reins of goofy, suburbanite rap and lead it in a fresh direction.

The Cool Kids used MySpace Music and well-timed bookings at a Pitchfork festival in Chicago and an opening slot on M.I.A.'s recent US tour to gain notoriety before officially releasing a proper debut. Though The Bake Sale is ten songs, they are calling it their first EP because half the tracks have been available in one form or another since 2007. A full album is apparently due out later this year.

One thing that's apparent as soon as "What Up Man" starts in is that The Cool Kids have a sound of their own. "Did you know I made this beat with my mouth and a bell," Mikey Rocks asks in the first track. You could hear any song on this album out anywhere and know it was them. That in and of itself is tough to accomplish in such a sample-saturated genre.

They have a synthed-out, lazy, serpentine bassline sound that meshes well with their laidback flows. "What Up Man," "One Two," "Black Mags" and "A Little Bit Cooler" all use that sound as a foundation. But they deviate successfully as well, hitting hard on Mikey Rocks (best track on the album, production-wise). So simple, but so clean. "88" is a mash-up style throwback to the Run DMC-style production from that year. "What It Is" lets loose with a live drum set and an old Cypress Hill-sounding bassline.

The Cool Kids, as their name suggests, think they're cooler than you. They eat Fruity Pebbles ("How gangster is that?"), shop at boutiques ("limited quantity sneaks") and serve up ten songs of hipster-hop anyone with a sense of humor can appreciate.

—Chris Nelson
06.12.08