The Hives

If the Hives' 2007 Timbaland collaboration "Throw It on Me" gave the purist in you a start, this full-length probably won't calm your nerves. "T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S" is a Pharrell Williams-produced spell-a-thon set to a Hot Chip-ish groove, "Giddy Up!" resurrects Devo robotics, and "A Stroll Through Hive Manor Corridors" sounds like an organ instrumental for a fun house. Howlin' Pelle's Jagger swagger exudes more sass than ever, though, alongside more explosions, squeals, hand-claps and woo-hoos.

The Hives' howlin' Pelle Almqvist remains the international king of talk-idiot-talk stage
patter. Pelle: "I'm out of control! Tell me to take it easy!" Crowd: "Take it easy!" Pelle: "No, I
wooon't!" He's right — he won't. The Swedish garage-punk maniacs continue to polish their
sharp-dressed groove on their fourth album, adding new tricks, rhythmic jolts and some
very not-indie studio wizardry without denting their basic bang-on-the-head for... More >