Album review by Bec Harbour
It’s unusual for a band to tour before releasing their new album, but The Hives have never been ones for tradition. Their recent run of shows gave us a sneak peek into The Hives Forever Forever The Hives, teased by three singles in the lead-up to their Australian dates.
There’s always been an undercurrent of social commentary in The Hives’ music, and this album sharpens that edge. Wrapped in a garage-punk blanket are some pointed political jabs, maybe evident in singles like ‘Paint A Picture‘, ‘Enough Is Enough‘, and ‘Legalize Living‘. When I spoke to guitarist Nicholaus Arson during their Australian tour, he stayed coy about specifics, but you’d have to be living under a rock not to see the global politics feeding into their work right now.
The record kicks off with ‘Introduction‘ — a scrappy, ominous noise piece that sets the mood before diving straight into ‘Enough Is Enough‘. This is classic Hives: a big hook, snappy lyrics, and Pelle Almqvist venting about having his fill of daily nonsense. The band leans heavily on their trademark loud/quiet dynamics here (mostly loud, naturally).
‘Hooray, Hooray, Hooray‘ follows as a short, sharp blast of garage rock. It’s deceptively upbeat musically, though the lyrics tell a different story: “always on the losing side…” From there, ‘Bad Call‘ lands with gritty vocal fry, call-and-response chants, and a chorus that punches like pure rock. The verses ride an almost tribal drum pattern that gives it extra bite.
‘Paint A Picture‘ is the one that seems to stalk my playlists the most, and I’m not complaining. It’s a perfect driving track, familiar from the first listen. There are shades of The Strokes in the riff and echoes of punk pioneers Buzzcocks, but make no mistake, this is unmistakably The Hives. As Arson reminded me when I asked about influences, every band owes something to those who came before. This track, with its massive chorus, is destined to become a live singalong favourite.
Then comes ‘OCDOD‘, a frantic cut with jittery timing shifts clearly designed to push buttons (literally and figuratively).
‘Legalize Living, another single, also worms its way into my car playlists. With its blaring sirens, it’s hard not to check your mirrors when driving through Brisbane traffic. Beyond the sonic trickery, it’s one of the album’s sharper political statements. The band never spelled out the subject for me, but given the state of the world, it could land in multiple contexts.
An interlude then provides a moment of calm before the second half kicks in.
‘Roll Out the Red Carpet‘ is pure theatre, perfectly matched to the band’s current visuals (just look at the album cover). It’s swaggering garage rock with dance-floor bounce, laced with canned applause for extra cheek.
‘Born A Rebel‘ grooves on a slinky low-end riff and keys, with Howlin’ Pelle’s layered vocals swelling into the kind of call-and-response that The Hives excel at.
‘They Can’t Hear the Music‘ throws more socio-political shade, perhaps aimed at those lost down extremist rabbit holes where you can no longer “the music”. With jangly guitars and buzzing bass, it’s catchy as hell.
‘Path of Most Resistance‘ shifts into almost new-wave territory, ringing guitars and synths propelling an ode to doing things the hard way: “a little bit trapped and a little bit free…” It’s bouncy, fun, and deceptively reflective.
The closer, ‘The Hives Forever Forever The Hives’, lives up to the band’s tradition of self-mythologising with a theme song. Built on synth-heavy keys, it plays like closing credits to the most chaotic film you’ve ever seen — exactly the right way to end this record.
This isn’t a “return to form,” because The Hives never really lost it. But it might be their most consistent release in years. Every track could stand as a single, balancing fun, swagger, and those sneaky political undercurrents. The Hives Forever Forever The Hives will hit longtime fans, mid-career converts, and — if the band has their way — a whole new wave of believers.
