Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 11/13/2007
Time and time again,
the Hives have shown that they can crank out consistent, and consistently fun,
garage rock.
The Black and White Album's title alludes to the band's strict formulas for everything from color codes to dress codes to cleverly structured dumb
rock, yet this is the album where
the Hives break away from their routine -- they add some gray to the mix. At this point in their career, it's understandable that they'd want to break out of the mold, at least occasionally, even if they are the experts at honed, toned
garage-
punk. To that end, the band recorded with a host of different producers, from
Dennis Herring (who worked on the bulk of the songs) to
Pharrell Williams to
Jacknife Lee, as well as on their own. Considering how many people worked on the album, it's a minor miracle that it has any cohesiveness at all, but
the Hives nod to tradition by starting off with a bunch of sure-fire songs.
"Tick Tick Boom" comes at your ears from all directions, full of snarling "yeah!"s and low-slung riffs that are tamped down like gunpowder before exploding on the choruses.
"Hey Little World" is one of the band's best
Stones-on-speed rockers in some time, and
"You Got It All...Wrong" shows, once again, that nobody can write a put-down rave-up like
the Hives can. If all the songs were this relentless,
The Black and White Album could've lived up to its working title,
The World's First Perfect Album, but the middle of the album finds the band taking risks.
"A Stroll Through Hive Manor"'s tinny drum machine and horror show organ hints at the changes to come -- this is the first time a
Hives album has had anything like an interlude on one of their albums before. Even small tweaks, like
Howlin' Pelle Almqvist's more melodic vocals -- which recall
Franz Ferdinand's
Alex Kapranos or even
Billy Idol's dangerous croon -- on
"Won't Be Long," or the cartoonish keyboards on
"Puppet on a String," end up making a big difference on
the Hives' sound. The more radical experiments are, not surprisingly, the album's most uneven moments. The
Williams-produced
"T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S." is a bit like the band's
"Emotional Rescue": A mash-up of
hip-hop-inspired beats,
new wave keyboards, and
garage rock guitars, it might be more interesting than good, but it's also a lot of fun.
"Giddy Up!," however, is just plain weird, with hiccuped backing vocals and free-falling synths -- but, while it doesn't quite work, it's too quirky and memorable to be outright bad. That
The Black and White Album closes with another batch of non-stop, quintessentially
Hives rockers like
"Square One, Here I Come" and
"You Dress Up for Armageddon" suggests that the band knows that its fans don't necessarily come to them for experimentation. While the balancing act between
the Hives' new and old approaches is a little lopsided, making this album less amazing than
Tyrannosaurus Hives,
The Black and White Album should satisfy most fans while giving them a few challenging moments to chew on, too.
~Heather Phares, All Music Guide
Average Review:
Number of reviews: 10
Write an online review and share your thoughts with others!
A reviewer
from Portland, OR
The Hives goes for a knockout
Time after time you both see and hear The Hives deliver only as the greatest band alive can do. For "The Black And White Album" The Hives have brought it up a notch. The Hives have now more than ever a depth in their album which you can't find on any of the previous albums. The album opens up with the hit single "Tick Tick Boom" and directly sets the pace for the remaining part of the album. You barely have the time to exhale before "Try It Again" blasts out of the speakers. A self-made hit. Before you really know what hit you The Hives delivers yet another of their trademark punk rock songs in form of "You Got It All...Wrong". Another relentless punk rock song that leaves you dazed and confused. "Hey Little World" has the same output. That's why "A Stroll Through Hive Manor Corridors" is a perfect song to unwind to. An all instrumental tune with nothing but a drum machine and an organ. Then "It Won't Be Long" comes along as an injection. The very cool "T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S." is the bands take on hip hop and is produced by none other than Pharrell Williams. With "Square One Here I Come" and "You Dress Up For Armageddon" The Hives are back on track with their punk rock riffs. In a madman type of fashion "Puppet On A String" is made. A song solely based on piano playing and finger snaps on top of vocals. A well executed tune and shows the bands wide range of skills and fingertip feeling. The Hives rounds off with "Bigger Hole To Fill". An astounding display of a punk rock band at their best. The Black And White Album is mixture between songs that are typical for The Hives and a few that surprises even the most avid Hives fans. What more can I say? The Hives will always be our favourite band.
A reviewer
from CA,USA
BEST NEW ALBUM
If you haven't already bought The Hives new Black and White album then you are definitely depriving your hears, and should immediately add their album to your collection. The album is jam packed with songs that will have you up out of your seating dancing and singing along.
The thing that I love best about their new album is that they were not afraid to take chances and experimented with different sounds. The album is not what I expected and that's a good thing. The Hives are able to make the transition from strictly rock n' roll/punk songs to a more eclectic style. All the while staying true to their rock roots and keeping their distinct sound that distinguishing them from other musical artists.
There is definitely a strong blues and hip hop-esque influence on this album. I think most notably heard in the song Giddy up. For those of you who are not into the whole hip hop thing dont be scared away by my description. The Black and White album is definitely a rock n' roll album but influences by other genres of music can be heard. The Hives create their own, new, unique sound.
Hey Little World and You Dress Up For Armageddon has more of an old school punk sound to me, which I really like.
The album even includes a catchy anthem song- T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S.
Buy the new album. If you dont, you are definitely missing out and depriving yourself.
TickTockRock
from Michigan
Some of the best rock in years
This is simply some of the best and most pure rock to come along in a long long time. The energy the HIVES bring has been sucessfully contained in this disc through the miracle of science. Purchase this album and love yourself.
Cart 0 items
Listen
