Hate to Say I Told You So from Veni Vidi Viscous kind of makes an appearance here in the form of the catchy opener Tick Tick Boom. The simple riff-rock style risks becoming monotonous, but the genius of The Hives is that they know how to quit while they're still ahead.
Try It Again another (relatively) slow-paced song with another great riff and another catchy chorus. A minor gripe is that I question whether the screaming girls in the background adds anything to the song. But that's easily overcome by the highlight of the song for me: the great interplay between the two guitars. Bigger Hole To Fill brings more of the same goodness.
You Got It All... Wrong is getting closer to a traditional Ramones err, sorry, Hives song. There aren't many musical ideas going on here, but the backing vocals does make the chorus stand out nicely. Also, the keyboard in the pre-chorus brings some good contrast to proceedings.
It's all been quite traditional up until this point, but Well Allright kicks things up a gear with a super-catchy groove. The overblown gospel-preacher style of vocals works a treat with the soul-influenced styling. It's simply great fun and I don't have much more to say...
Hey Little World features the timeless recipe of riff-rock versus perfectly contrasting a bouncy, singalong chorus. Won't Be Long is more of the same, but at slightly higher tempo (and with a great Animals reference at the start of the lyrics). The plastic strings and synths are terribly cheesy... it's wonderful.
As a quirky interlude, A Stroll Through Hive Manor Corridors works a treat. Actually, the song also works a treat in its own right. For me it brings up images of sneaking around a mansion in a Spy-vs-spy style. The tongue-in-cheek funk of T.H.E. H.I.V.E.S. also provides variety and much enjoyment. Finally, I have no idea what style Giddy Up is?? Regardless, it's also a wonderfully oddball addition to the album.
Return The Favour is old-school raucous (and sometimes harsh) Hives. It's a nice throwback, but the song also illustrates how much the band has developed since the first few albums.
In Puppet On A String, the band have graded thundering guitars and drums for a piano and subtle clicks. The result shows that quality songwriting can be completely engaging without needing any window dressing. This is perhaps another "oddball" song (although perhaps so many oddballs actually makes it the norm here?), but it's also one of my favourite songs on the album.
Favourite songs
Try It Again, You Got It All... Wrong, Well Allright, Hey Little World, A Stroll Through Hive Manor Corridors, Won't Be Long, T.H.E. H.I.V.E.S., Giddy Up, Puppet On A String, Bigger Hole To Fill.
Final thoughts
Similar to Green Day and The Living End, I regard The Hives as a band that has evolved very nicely over their career (but with the tongue still firmly embedded in cheek the whole time!).
And this album is heaps fun.
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