December 20, 2007
The
"black" and the "white" in the title of The Hives' fourth album don't
just refer to the band's dichromatic sartorial style. They also
acknowledge the harmonious duality of the Swedish quintet's noise—to
paraphrase an old joke, they play both kinds of music: rock and roll.
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The attempts at expansion don't exactly turn The Hives into The Clash: No song reaches the four-minute mark, and one track's title, "A Stroll Through Hive Manor Corridors," conceals only a modest organ solo over a Casio-level rhythm loop. However, The Hives successfully loosen up, making The Black and White Album their most fun—and even their most colorful—record yet.
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