The garage rock scene exploded in 2001. The White Stripes, the Strokes, the Vines and the Hives all had their breakout that year, with fast paced songs that had a wild, uncontrolled feeling.
Besides a single or two from follow-up albums, only the White Stripes and the Strokes have had success past the surge. With a change of clothes and help from some hit-making producers such as Pharrell Williams, the Hives’ The Black and White Album is an attempt to achieve the same success.
With the opening five tracks, it really seems like that might be the case. “Tick Tick Boom” is directly in the spirit of “Hate to Say I Told You So,” bringing back the same infectious drum beats and vocals that put them on the map. They undoubtedly wanted to start the album off with a bang.
Moving through these initial tracks, the Hives show they have refined themselves, but not so much as to alienate their fans.
An example would be “Well All Right!,” where frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist is backed by KT Tunstall-esque woo-hoos, hand claps and bass drum beats, but his shrilling vocals keeps the listener from having visions of black horses and cherry trees. Williams obviously had a hand in this song, which is probably why it is so polished, but he allows the band to sound like themselves on this track.
But, as great as these first tracks are, the latter part of the album shows the band’s obvious attempt to reinvent themselves, leading to some decent songs and some just plain awful ones.
Right off the bat, this is heard in “A Stroll Through Hive Manor Corridors,” the worst song on the album. Sounding as if it was recorded for Shaggy and Velma walking around a spooky castle during an early Scooby Doo episode, this purely instrumental song—which only uses an organ and a drum machine from the ’60s—is completely out of place and is mind-numbingly irritating. It doesn’t even work as a quick bridge, with the song lasting for an agonizing two minutes and 39 seconds.
Later, William’s influence is distinctly heard on “T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S.” The title’s similarity to William’s band name is no mistake; it sounds like an N.E.R.D. song with a different name tag and singer. The Hives sound awkward when playing a highly stylized and overproduced song; they completely lose their loose style that makes them great. The worst part of it is the change in Almqvist’s vocals, singing in a unfittingly, high pitched, weak voice.
The trend continues in “Giddy Up.” Almqvist’s vocals once again sound out of place, further standing out due to the minimalist instrumentals.
The rest of the tracks are not good, but not terrible. “It Won’t Be Long” is an enjoyable track, although it feels too much like a We Are Scientists song. “You Dress For Armageddon,” “Puppet on a String” and “Bigger Hole to Fill” all just sound, well, mediocre.
Like the album’s title, there is little middle ground with the Hives. The quality of songs is hardly gray—just black and white.
