From the title, one would expect “The Black and White Album,” the latest release from The Hives, to be a cross between the seminal albums from The Beatles and Metallica.
But as it turns out, the title is merely a reference to the black and white suits the band habitually wears.
In fact, the music on the Swedish quintet’s fourth album sounds more like what would happen if you could get the New York Dolls into, well, suits. And wiped the makeup ““ and sneering, streetwise attitude ““ off their faces. And added a lot of synthesizers and glossy studio production.
The album opens with the sounds of a band warming up before launching into the rocking-tight riffs of “Tick Tick Boom,” complete with hand claps and vocals constantly moving in stereo.
“Try it Again” has a garage band feel, with looser guitar riffs and a sing-along chorus. Vocalist Pelle Almqvist channels Mick Jagger and Iggy Pop, with shades of David Johansen, as he sings “You’ve become what you hate / Or you hate what you’ve become” over the punchy guitars of “Won’t be Long.”
From the frenzied bass of “You Got it All … Wrong” to the funk beat of the Pharrell Williams-produced “˜T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S.,” the album locks into a steady groove of danceable party tracks, heavy on the backbeat and hand claps.
“Return the Favour” races through power chords at breakneck speed, while the chorus of the cowbell-heavy “Hey Little World” is melodically narcotic. “Square One Here I Come” is essentially a new-wave garage rock update of Alice Cooper’s “Lost in America,” with a jump-up-and-shout chant of “No job! No skills! No money! No nothing!” The marching rhythm of “You Dress up for Armageddon” breaks for a Sgt. Pepper’s type chorus, and the album’s light-hearted dance beat takes a break on the eerie, Addams Family-esque “Puppet on a String,” with the vocals, backed only by piano and hand claps. The album closes with the party in full force on “Bigger Hole to Fill,” with the throbbing bass, hypnotic guitar riffs and droning vocals creating a techno vibe.
The album’s glaring weakness is its lyrics. With the notable exception of the social commentary in “Square One Here I Come,” most of the tracks have repetitive, superficial lyrics. But since thinking too hard can make it hard to dance, this flaw is easily overlooked.
Excluding the ridiculously dull instrumental track, “A Stroll Through Hive Manor Corridors,” the album is a polished, focused effort, driven by a relentless dance beat, energetic vocals and animated guitars.
““ Kim Sanders
E-mail Sanders at ksanders@media.ucla.edu.