Release date: October 2007
Label: Interscope
Tracks: 14
Rating: 8
The Black and White Album is the latest release from The Hives, a group that is notorious for high-energy, catchy songs that make full use of the modern rock mentality while still getting you to dance.
At least That’s how I feel about it?The Hives have had a few hits you might remember from the last few years: ?Die, Alright!,? ?Supply and Demand,? and ?Hate To Say I Told You So? weren’t particularly well received on the charts but the songs did work their way into semi-regular radio play for good reason.
It’s just about impossible to put on a Hives record and not feel like dancing on the furniture and throwing a party. This album has a few slow moments where the band decided to experiment with their sound equipment, but for the most part The Black and White Album is just what fans should be expecting from The Hives after a three-year pause between recording sessions.
The single ?Tick Tick Boom? was released to a fairly cool reception in terms of chart placement, but the song was quickly recruited as the theme to the WWE Survivor Series 2007; this has been, sadly, the primary form of publicity for the new record.
Aside from what is a great single, the star tracks are ?You Got It All . . . Wrong,? ?Bigger Hole to Fill,? and the disco-esque song ?T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S.?
Being Swedish, the band has taken a European approach to rock music and has incorporated a more pop-oriented sound into their music. The product is something quite closely related to Franz Ferdinand in terms of both musical exploration and the dance/party vibe that runs through the entire record. don’t be nervous about the European recording though?The Black and White Album was produced in English, not Swedish, so you won’t have to hone your language skills before listening.
After the release of this record, The Hives remain an altogether underappreciated band in Canada and most other English-speaking countries, although It’s difficult to say why. Maybe the anglophones of Western culture are looking for a more traditional rock sound than this band produces, or maybe they just haven’t got the right publicity team on the job. Whatever the reason, this is a band and album that deserve some airtime, so check it out.