The Hives

The Hives make it ridiculously hard not to fall in love with them. Their amplified garage punk is so infectious that they make everyone else sound like posers. Their pure, snarling pop gets a more frenetic makeover here, with the amps set to burst. Singer Howlin' Pelle Almqvist sounds possessed throughout.

For the stellar garage-rock class of 2002, it's time to show and prove. The Hives blew out of
Sweden a couple of years ago, riding the maniac guitar attack "Hate to Say I Told You So,"
part of a wave of hot young bands giving rock & roll a desperately needed kick in the ass.
Like the Strokes, the Stripes and the Vines, the Hives arrived in style. They had matching
black-and-white suits, party-commando lyrics, a drummer who must have done t... More >

Don't care about "going down no in no history," thus wiser than those who think it matters that they won't (only they may) ("Walk Idiot Walk," "No Pun Intended"). (Grade - ***)