The Black & White Album - The Hives

The Hives may well have been "Your New Favourite Band" with the release of Hate To Say I Told You So but it didn't last long. By the time that the follow up to that album, Tyrannosaurus Hives, hit the shops it seemed as if The Hives had already outlived their usefulness.

Yet, here we are in 2007 and despite the introduction of new producers into proceedings, including Pharrell Williams, in an attempt to break new ground it's the "old sound" of The Hives that comes to the fore on the Black And White Album...it's not bad at all.

The likes of Tick, Tick Boom and Return The Favour are up there with the best things they've done and whilst they can't keep that up over the running time of this somewhat over-long album (15 tracks of The Hives is too much for me in one sitting) there's more than enough in the album to enjoy.

Subtle and innovative it may not be, fun and worth a listen it most certainly is.