Search - The Hives :: The Black and White Album

The Hives - Black And White Album 7.5/10

Rudolph Klapper | Los Angeles / Orlando | 07/24/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Remember mainstream rock radio in 2001? Bands that were about as groundbreaking as a Nickelodeon cartoon held the top positions, such artistic visionaries as Creed, Puddle of Mudd, Lifehouse, and the last gasp of nu-metal, Linkin' Park.



Then something strange happened. Something fresh started popping up on the radio, heralded by a number of plural-noun bands such as the Strokes and the White Stripes, something the music press dubbed the "garage-rock revival."



At the forefront of this new rock was Sweden's The Hives, bursting out of the frozen north in matching black-and-white suits and ties and ridiculous stage names. Singer "Howlin'" Pelle Almqvist made the band's live shows legendary with his crowd-surfing antics, and the band's breakthrough, Your New Favourite Band, gave them major-label backing.



Two albums later and six years later, The Hives return to the States with The Black and White Album, a record that maintains the raucous punk spirit of their earlier albums while showing a novel musical direction that saves the album from repeating the trends of its predecessors.



Opener and first single "Tick Tick Boom" opens with a distinctive pulsating guitar line and Almqvist's trademark yell, a typical Hives song opening up what at first seems to be a typical Hives album. Complete with back-and-forth backup shouts and a fist-pumping chorus, the track is intensely enjoyable, but it is nothing a Hives fan wouldn't expect.



The album starts to veer off into uncharted territory around the Pharrell Williams-produced "Well Allright!," a bouncy, swing-flavored rave-up that manages to sound fresh without completely redefining the band's sound.



"A Stroll Through Hive Manor Corridors" is perhaps the oddest addition to the Hives discography, an instrumental interlude halfway through the album solely featuring a drum machine and what sounds like a B-horror movie `50s soundtrack. Although initially interesting, it fails to evolve much beyond a creepy melody.



The album ends with the one-two punch of "Puppet On A String" and "Bigger Hole To Fill," both typing up the record's creative loose ends. "Puppet On A String," currently being featured on the Cartoon Network, utilizes only piano and handclaps and Almqvist's nonsensical lyrics ("got your education from just hanging around / you got your brain from a hole in the ground") to solidify the Hives' acceptance of experimentation.



"Bigger Hole to Fill" ends the collection on a triumphant note, producing yet another catchy chorus anchored by a jagged guitar line and a simple rock beat and serving to assure the listener that the Hives won't be abandoning their trademark sound anytime soon.



While The Black and White Album proves that sometimes some adventurous tinkering produces some intriguing new possibilities, it also affirms that if it isn't broken, it doesn't have to be fixed."

Adrenaline Rush--Forget the 'Red Bull'--Just Go Along for th

Rocky Raccoon | Boise, ID | 08/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"(4.5 *'s) Nothing has rejuvenated the airwaves like The Hives' "Hate to Say I Told You So." Crescendo and angst about who-knows-what? Gets the answer: Who cares? 'The Black and White Album' finds the fabulous five Swedes with none of the trappings of success. What makes this album a worthy successor to the remarkably fast-forward 'Veni, Vidi, Vicious'* is the variety. Add to this the fact they've yet to take themselves too seriously, and, '...Black and White...,' while not as groundbreaking, draws on an expertise that prevents any formula. As an ABBA aficionado, The Hives covers more Swedish territory. From slick and sweet to awesomely wild, The Hives do Scandinavia proud!



Highlights only Please! Okay, I'll try.



1.) "Tick Tick Boom" is incredibly propulsive. Almost matches "Hate to Say I Told You So." Found on recent soundtracks, including 'Jumper'. Hollywood `Get(s) Smart'.



2.) "You Got It All Wrong," "Hey Little World," and "Return the Favor" are expansive. Great trajectory, yet they manage to mix it up better than The Ramones did.



3.) The whole idea is fun, so "Well All Right!" "You Dress up for Armageddon," and "Square One, Here I Come" fill the bill. "Puppet on a String" reinvents the wheel nicely.



4.) "Big Bang Theory"? "Try It Again," "Won't Be Long," and "Bigger Hole to Fill" are harder rockin' evidence.



5.) "Variety is the spice of life." "T.H.E. H.I.V.E.S." showcase a Mick Jagger-like vocal. Now I thought The Hives drew from The Kinks and The Dave Clark Five, but the columnists were right, there are Stones' influences. "Giddy Up" funks it up nicely. (Are they singing about `Urban Cowboy,' `Brokeback Mountain,' or protesting the foreign policy of President Bush? I haven't decided yet.) "A Stroll Through Hive Mansion" shows no false modesty: We need an intermission, but this carnival music for a flea circus is a little too tame. Maybe they should have consulted R.E.M. before creating an instrumental.



The Hives still are fun after all these years, but their experience only expands their already impressive repertoire.



(I know 'Tyranasaurus Hives,' came just before 'Black and White,' but I prefer to compare 'Veni Vidi Vicious'.)"

If youre ever in need

Shaun E. Phillips | london, ontario | 03/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Every time I put on a Hives album I just want to scream out and start dancing around like an idiot. Theyre music is so explosive, so fun, so great, and it never gets old. They change things up enough on this record from their previous to keep you on your toes, and it sounds less of a retro 60s garage rock band. I love these guys and if I ever need to get pumped up for the day, I throw on the Hives..."