After commemorating their fictional songwriter in 2023’s The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, The Hives have gone beyond self-referential on their seventh studio record. An album title like The Hives Forever Forever The Hives, with a cover of the band decked out in royal regalia, would be a baffling, borderline arrogant move for literally any other artist. But this is a rock band that simply loves being a rock band, and will take any chance they get to revel in it.
The Hives Forever… comes hot on the heels of four singles, which is conservative by today’s standards. There are 10 new tracks, plus an introduction, an interlude, and a long-awaited studio version of live set staple ‘Paint A Picture’.
The intro track announces the album with drama, declaring ‘The Hives Forever Forever The Hives’ before a snippet of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Because why not? Follow-up ‘Enough Is Enough’ makes it clear this isn’t a band shying away from its garage rock roots, crashing in with attitude and power chords. With many of their 2000s indie peers shifting towards a more polished, pop-tinged sound, it’s an instant reassurance that The Hives you know and love aren’t going anywhere.
There’s a political edge to this new record, with ‘Legalise Living’ and ‘Hooray Hooray ’’ dealing with freedom and opulence in decay in a way that drips with sarcasm and satire. Sure, the police sirens may be a little too on the nose, but this isn’t a band that goes for subtlety.
Besides the legacy of their iconic 2004 album Veni Vedi Vicious, The Hives have built their reputation on being one of the best live bands around. From Foo Fighters at Download Festival Paris to Green Day in Hyde Park, they’re a foolproof pre-headliner hype band. And this latest record was clearly written with live shows in mind. ‘Roll Out The Red Carpet’ comes equipped with a floor-filler chorus, while ‘Bad Call’ is just pure high-energy fun.
Being completely honest, there’s not a lot of new ground broken in terms of The Hives’ sound. And that’ll either be a disappointment or a relief, depending on what you were hoping for. But in the world of The Hives: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. After all, those black and white tuxedos have been serving them well since the turn of the millennium.
The title track serves as the album’s closer, and it’s a perfect choice. The nostalgic indie synths and shout-along chorus (if you’ve read this far, you already know the words) make it practically engineered for an encore.
‘The Hives Forever Forever The Hives’ is an album for the fans – whether they’ve been around for 25 years, or are yet to be recruited. Catch them on tour around the UK and Europe this autumn, with Liverpool and Nottingham up next.
