In this case it's simple: Because Nasty International is good, that's why.
For those familiar with Girls Against Boys, Nasty International won't be a foreign affair.
Scott McCloud's Mark E. Smith-damaged drawl is still a recognizable element in the mix, but that's all it is, just another ingredient in the stew. And let me tell you, this musical stew is thick, murky and challenging -- kind of similar to your grandmother's "treats" she would pull from the fridge when you came to visit. And just like those morsels that you hesitantly picked at, the songs on Nasty International are a little hard to figure out and pretty difficult to swallow.
The mix isn't hi-fi, nor is it lo-fi.
It is neither and both at the same time -- kind of sci-fi. The sound is a hodgepodge assembly of 1970s everything-and-the-kitchen- sink-Lee-Perry-esque echoes, scrapyard guitar dissonance and bleepity-bloopity-electronic sounds. The dubbly-bubbly bass line and the slo-mo, distorto echo drums that barely hold "Sugar X" together are perfect examples of the unlikely collage that New Wet Kojak pull off.
"Cool Heart," the first track, is one of Nasty International's standout tracks. McCloud begins the album with the lines, "I'm gettin' happy... I'm gettin' slappy," an off-kilter couplet that sets a disorienting tone for the album. Aside from his voice, the song's most memorable component is a deep, resonating six-note bass line that is far too slow to be rockin', but a little fast to be anything else (certainly not dub reggae).
Nasty International is further proof that one doesn't need a steady diet of standard rock 'n' roll to sustain a person. Guitar-rock isn't dead, but it sure is sick. Thank God.