Again, The Hives offer a big, scrappy, not-quite-as-dumb-as-they-may-want-you-to-think, wonderfully messed-up and shouty record.
And just who is this Lex guy? It's actually Latin for a collection of Roman laws. This may seem odd coming from a bunch of Swedes who have always walked a fine line in knowing both the glory and absurdity of The Rock. But equally, it's still garage rock even if it's a Volvo you've had to move into the driveway.
If you're seeking the distillation of this law of The Hives, the album's opening spurt, Come On!, about covers it. Essentially, the title covers it. That being both sides of most all of the call-and-response call-to-arms lyric of it, with the exception of an occasional “Everybody!” here and there through the choruses for variety.
It doesn't let up much from there. The knowledge of – and nods to – various eras of punk is still evident. 1000 Answers is early Clash-as-surf-band looking for something, even if not quite sure what. I Want More is near-perfect Iggy strum-and-drang demand. It even gets a bit '60s Nuggets-style in Patrolling Days' cop gone wrong or Midnight Shifter's hot-rod anthem.
Although we are a little taken aback to find the magnificent Go Right Ahead – The Hives' big-beat and handclaps with added dirtily blurting sax section! How many more ways can it be great? – owes so much a debt to a debt to ELO, they've actually had to credit Jeff Lynne a share of the royalties.
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Again, The Hives offer a big, scrappy, not-quite-as-dumb-as-they-may-want-you-to-think, wonderfully messed-up and shouty record. Go with that.