No postal service delivers the goods more reliably than Swedish garage rock legends The Hives, as seventh album masterfully proves
The Hives’ UK breakthrough came in 2001 via Your New Favourite Band, a compilation of highlights from their first two releases. So relentless was it with electrified, instant-hit-making, that even the album title entered the parlance of the times. Record companies started touting pretty much every young act as ‘your new favourite band’.
Decades later, The Hives are still charging. This latest offering is as uncorrupted a rock album as any released this year, 33 minutes of breakneck, tyre-screeching anthems. Ebullient frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist has seemingly aged not a day as he roars over rhino-heavy riffs on opener Enough Is Enough. Then, Hooray Hooray Hooray is a rapid-fire second round of fist-pumping hooks, speeding guitar and drums.
The Hives are like an endless circle of rock n’ roll celebration. As with all their albums, this one dresses repeated formulas in different clothes, cool clothes obviously, but doing enough to keep excitement levels high. Songs like Hooray Hooray Hooray and the title track might be self-congratulatory, back-slapping anthems, but they’re built like that for good reason. The Hives back it up. Nobody does this staccato punk rock stomp as well, and many have tried.
Bad Call boasts one of the best hooks The Hives have summoned from their sharp-suited selves in many years, while Paint A Picture somewhat recalls live staple Main Offender in its effective shifting of pace. It’s as if they slow down during the chorus to make damn sure you’re singing along.
More joy comes at you in the form of Roll Out The Red Carpet and Born A Rebel, flashes of Royal Republic’s rollercoaster sense of fun. The former has another instant winner of a hook while the latter keeps you on your toes wondering exactly where it’s going. 'I got a few enhancements to the Ten Commandments,' Pelle teases.
The Hives have been around a quarter of a century. So while they’re nobody’s new favourite band now, good luck in finding an old one that’s this much fun.
Verdict: 4/5
For fans of: The White Stripes, Amyl And The Sniffers, Royal Blood
The Hives Forever Forever The Hives is released on August 29 via PIAS
