The Hives – The Black and White Album (Release Year – 2007)
Many of the new bands I hear coming out of Sweden, look and sound like the bastard children of Motley Crue. The Hives have a look that is all their own, but one spin of The Hives new disc The Black and White Album, and I immediately noticed the New York Dolls vibe about the band. The Hives Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist singer, reminds me of David Johansen from the New York Dolls at times.
The Hives started out as a garage punk rock band. Their sound has matured over the years, and judging from the tunes they have crafted on this record, this is their finest work yet.
This band has already started to experience some mainstream success. Last Sunday afternoon, The NFL was playing Tick Tick Boom during their games. The band is also one of the featured bands at Myspace.
The Black and White Album has been a nice surprise, and I have enjoyed this release far more than I expected to. The songs are still firmly rooted in punk rock, but there are several catchy numbers on this disc. The Hives have managed to create a sound firmly rooted in the past, and yet relevant in today’s music scene. This is a band that is likely to have a big year in 2008.
You can preview tracks off of this record at The Hives at their myspace page. Check them out!
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Tick Tick Boom
2. Try It Again
3. You Got It All… Wrong
4. Well All Right!
5. Hey Little World
6. A Stroll Through Hive Manor Corridors
7. Won’t Be Long
8. T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S.
9. Return The Favour
10. Giddy Up!
11. Square One Here I Come
12. You Dress Up For Armageddon
13. Puppet On A String
14. Bigger Hole To Fill
The Hives are:
Nicholas Arson – Guitar
Vigilante Carlstroem – Guitar
Chris Dangerous – Drums
Dr. Matt Destruction – Bass
Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist – Vocals
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I dug the 1st album The Hives put out ( in ’01 ) that WAS the 1st one, right?? But haven’t bought any of thier stuff afterwards.Honestly, I almost never play that earlier disc either,even though I dug at least half the disc.
I never found the Hives to be a big standout in the garage revival from the early part of the decade. They seemed to pale in comparison to the Strokes (whose Is This It album certainly set a standard in the sub-genre) or even Jet. I haven’t paid a lot of attention since. While I’m puzzled as to why getting away from their garage/punk rock roots is a good thing, I’m curious to hear this new album, especially with the Dolls reference.