The Hives first studio album in over a decade, it’s safe to say that they are back with aplomb, and to much critical acclaim including, of course, their own.
The Death of Randy Fitsimmons, named for the fictional “unseen” member of The Hives and sole songwriter, the album was supposedly penned by its namesake: a demo tape discovered in an unmarked grave alongside five black and day-glow suits.
Indeed, the video for the song’s title track, ‘Bogus Operandi’, tells the story of this discovery – and sets the tone for the record to come.
As Howlin’ Pelle notes, “The world has enough OK rock music. We’re only here to make fantastic rock music. Being a band this good and this tight but not having great songs would be like owning a Ferrari with shitty tyres.”
A long-time fan of The Hives, I flipped out over two decades ago at the release of Veni Vidi Vicious. I loved not just the sound, the energy – but the accompanying incredible live performances, the attitude and the relentless self-assurance and swagger of front man Howlin’ Pelle. At a time where many bands – think The Strokes, Babyshambles, et all, were sporting skinny jeans, hoodies and “just got out of bed” looks, The Hives were a comparative slap in the face with colour coordinated suits, an unquestionable presence and confidence. I sincerely hoped that this would continue.
In an attempt to remain neutral, I posed myself the question, “If this was my first time hearing this band, what would I think?” As a responsible parent, I ignored the fact that 50% of the songs on the album had explicit lyric warnings, took a trip in the car with my 5 year-old and cranked up the volume, awaiting feedback. Having recently informed me that “sometimes it can be better not to say anything if you don’t like something, in case you hurt a person’s feelings” when I asked her what she thought of an outfit I had carefully selected, I was certain that she would at least provide a yardstick in terms of reception.
While ‘Bogus Operandi’ was well received, the prolonged instrumental intro making way to an uptempo track, ‘Trapdoor Solution’ is a return to the band’s frantic, full throttle sound. ‘Countdown to Shutdown’ continues in a similar vein, with tight riffs, pauses for dramatic effect, and borderline ridiculous lyrics – key ingredients for The Hives I know and love.
‘The Bomb’ is another fast, furious and lyrically-sound sample, and one which I’m sure will bring audience participation in upcoming live shows:
“What you wanna do?”
“Go Off!”
“What don’t you wanna do?
“Not go off!”
“What do you wanna not do?”
“Go off!
…and it continues, most famously.
‘What Did I Ever Do To You?’ is one of my favorite tracks, surprisingly, as it’s the one I feel makes the most departure from the rest of the album. A tremendous build up, synths, horns and lyrics almost spat out in demonstration of a party scorned. It keeps things interesting as we approach the end of the album, a mere 31 minutes in length. Or an hour, if you put it on again straight away, as we did.
The verdict?
Sadie, 5: “Sometimes the man has a funny voice, I like it a lot and it makes me want to dance.”
Kate, pushing 40: “The kid is not wrong.”
While The Death of Randy Fitsimmons is far from a reinvention of the wheel for The Hives; it would be safe to say there are absolutely no shitty tyres to be seen.
Words by Kate Burke
Picky Bastards 
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