The Hives
' sixth album may be called
The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons
, but they sound reinvigorated on this compact reminder of why they're still a dynamic rock 'n' roll force. The band wastes no time proving they're as brash and snarky as ever with "Bogus Operandi," a classic diss track beefed up with the arena rock-ready riffs they introduced on
Lex Hives
. When they evoke their past glories elsewhere on the album, it feels more like an encore than a rehash. "Trapdoor Solution"'s thrashy outburst could've easily appeared on
Barely Legal
; the brassy electro-funk of "What Did I Ever Do to You?" calls to mind
The Black and White Album
's most inventive moments; and "Stick Up"'s
Cab Calloway
-indebted gangster drama exemplifies
the Hives
' theatrical flair at its finest. The group recorded
with
Robyn
and
Charli XCX
collaborator
Patrik Berger
at a studio owned by
ABBA
's
Benny Andersson
, and all of this Swedish pop expertise makes itself known in the album's precise production and arrangements. As furious as
sound on explosions of pure id like "The Bomb," they never bludgeon their listeners' eardrums into oblivion. There are lots of details to savor, not the least of which is how
Howlin' Pelle Almqvist
's rapid-fire wordplay is still more than a match for his bandmates' onslaughts. On "Countdown to Shutdown," he namechecks Maslow and Ponzi; on "Crash into the Weekend," he tosses some poetic imagery ("I'm gonna crash into the weekend like a fallen sky") into the fray. Musically,
sound remarkably nimble for a band 30 years into their career, moving easily from the campy, spooky surf stomp of "That's the Way the Story Goes" to "Smoke & Mirrors"'
Social Distortion
-like crests to
the Cramps
-meets-girl group grind of "Rigor Mortis Radio." A breakneck blend of craft, experience, fun, and excitement,
is the most concentrated dose of the band's magic since
Tyrannosaurus Hives
. ~ Heather Phares