Your New Favourite Band [ECD] - Hives (The) > Reviews > The Hives - Your New Favourite Band reviewed

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Average
Lyrics	Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Average
Value for Money

Advantages:	Infectious songs that make you feel you can take on the world
Disadvantages:	There is a feel that the songs are too similar

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

When I first heard the Hives I pretty much immediately fell in love with them. It was on Xfm and I was revising for exams that I just couldn't be bothered to do. My dad was shouting at me for not working hard enough and I felt a combination of aggression and depression - summed up as 'pissed off'.

Then my radio bursts into life with a sound of a guitar being played in the way bands such as The Clash and The Rolling Stones can have an appreciation for. Then the drums burst in with a swaggering crash of cymbols only to be followed by a simple yet loud and head banging thwack of the snare drum before exploding into the meat of the song. This was 'Hate To Say I Told You So', the song that tells everyone it sees, "Hi, nice to meet you but if you get in my way, I will boot your insignificant arse into next Tuesday".

It's a definate mission statement for the rest of the album. There are no slow songs to drag down the momentous thrust which carries right until the end leaving you either ready to take on the world or collapsed on the floor after screaming and jumping to their infectious beat.

However, I shall review the album song by song and conclude at the end.

1.Hate To Say I Told You So
An absolute classic in the rock clubs. It has a great beat that makes you scream its punchy words and jump up and down like a mad man! I've had many a drunken night with a bottle in my hand screaming 'hate to say i told you sooooooo, alright, come on!' If this doesn't get you going, you should be taken to hospital.

2. Main Offender
Once again an incredibly good song. I had an argument with my mate as to which of this and the previous song we should play in our band. I won, preferring HTSITYS but the fact he could argue against me shows the quality of this. Another one I have heard in the rock clubs, albeit less often. It has the thumping drum and bass combined with the screaming guitar and vocals which make this great.

3. Supply And Demand
A strange topic for a rock song to sing about. However, this has a great part in the middle when you can clap along quickly which I love. The only thing about this song is that I would definately call this a good album track as opposed to a quality single. It just doesn't have that edge that others have.

4. Die, all right!
This, to me would be a good single song, if the charts hadn't changed to simply accepting singles that are either pop or rock in a pop way (e.g. busted). Once again, a great song to scream to: 'Diiiieeee, alriiiiiiight'! A lovely voxy tremelo ending!

5. Untutored Youth
Definately one of those tracks on albums that bands do as a fun track that definately isn't going to change the world. Fast shouting with fast thrashing of chords and drum rolls. 'Fun' is the optimum word.

6. Outsmarted
Not a great song but keeps the momentum of the whole album going. A fast song with a cute guitar lick but the song doesn't really develop but maintains the album without embarrasing it. A classic rock ending though.

7. Mad Man
This song seems to have a better intro to it than the rest of the song does justice for. I think that the whole song could have had a different and slightly better feel to it with the quality of lick it possesses but, on the other hand, this would not have fitted in with the album. Certainly listenable though.

8. Here We Go Again
Apt title for the song, as it is less frantic than some of the other songs but retains that distinctive Hives feel. Not a groundbreaker.

9. A.K.A I-D-I-O-T
One of those songs that you look forward to in the album. If the whole album is one in which you can jump about to, this song you will be looking forward to, just to shout the title and see if you can do it quickly without getting tongue twisted!

10. Automatic Schmuck
Not really much to say about this song, it retains the fast and child-like anger but doesn't really express anything more than an album track.

11. Hail Hail Spit n' Drool
To be honest see above, the title is the most intriguing part of the song.

12. The Hives Are Law, You Are Crime
No singing in this one, which makes this the odd one out. It shows that The Hives are capable of more interesting music than the latter stages of the album. It is slower than the others but is still an uptempo song. Definately an interesting variation to finish.

Cover/ Inside cover details
Quite basic inside, not really giving much away, which in a strange way adds to the intrigue of this odd looking band. They all dress in black and white, and I think they could have made more of this on the front cover, which just shows them in their playing positions with only the black parts of them visible (the rest being a light and dark red pattern).
To conclude, I have given this quite average ratings but give it good overall. This sounds a bit odd but I simply feel that the album is fantastic for when you have an adrenaline rush. The start of the album is better than the end but, to be honest, after jumping around for a while, you will be too tired to worry so much anyway.
Definately worth a listen.