The Hives - The Hives Forever, Forever The Hives
★★★★
PIAS
“Chewin’ on a plastic pen/It’s trying to kill my brain again,” yelps Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist amid O.C.D.O.D.’s blistering 1:45 duration. Such chinks in The Hives’ armour of invincibility are rare, their playful braggadocio otherwise amped to 11 as per usual.
Billed as an “arena album” comprised of 12 potential singles, The Hives Forever, Forever The Hives rails against nanny states (Legalize Living) and less specific ills (Enough Is Enough). It also packs not wholly unfamiliar configurations of deeply felt and furious riffage, but with the Beastie Boys’ Mike D adding “magic touches” alongside trusted-hand Pelle Gunnerfeldt (Viagra Boys etc), new ground is breached too. The title track, inspired by the band’s current motto, is a powerful evocation of The Strokes going electro, while Path Of Most Resistance taps a kooky, Devo-ish guitar hook. If your gym playlist needs refreshing, look no further.
The Hives Forever, Forever The Hives is out now on PIAS
LISTEN/BUY: Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon | Rough Trade | HMV
Tracklisting:
1. (Introduction)
2. Enough Is Enough
3. Hooray Hooray Hooray
4. Bad Call
5. Paint A Picture
6. O.C.D.O.D
7. Legalize Living
8. (Interlude)
9. Roll Out The Red Carpet
10. Born A Rebel
11. They Can’t Hear The Music
12. Path Of Most Resistance
13. The Hives Forever Forever The Hives
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