The Hives - Lex Hives (Deluxe Edition) (2024) [Hi-Res]

Five years after The Black and White Album, which found the group collaborating with Pharrell Williams, The Hives are back at full force, playing their trashy garage-punk rock with their usual abandon. "Come On" is 68 seconds of the group yelling "Come on!" Such cheekiness is The Hives' calling card. They buzz with energy through the new wave groove of "Wait a Minute" and the Joan "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" Jett power chords of "I Want More." "Take Back the Toys" adds a strutting step that evokes memories of The New York Dolls while cruising into the future with a vocal track that's grittily altered by production effects. Several tunes blast past in less than two minutes, with "These Spectacles Reveal the Nostalgics" recalling the wistful feel of classic '60s girl-group pop. "My Time Is Coming" starts with a creepy vocal and keyboard before slashing the night. There isn't a false step here, just plenty of high-energy rock 'n' roll.