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The Hives - Veni Vidi Vicious
- Given the bands in the ever-growing alternative scene’s penchant for buzz-saw guitars; explosive drums; and vocals that are growled, mumbled or shouted rather than sung, it is probably safe to say the legacy of the Ramones will not leave anytime soon. From fleeting flavors-of-the-month like Living Things to enduring bands like the Donnas, the influence of the preeminent American punk band has consistently dominated aspiring garage-rock groups and seemingly will continue to do so.
It might be surprising, then, that the band to best capture the Ramones’ combination of fast, furious instruments and vocals with wry lyrics does not come from America at all. Rather, they come from Sweden: the trans-Atlantic breakout, the Hives. The band’s second album, “Veni Vidi Vicious,” is a testament to the band’s ability to take a decades-old formula and reinvigorate it with catchy songs and stylish presentation.
A major strength of “Vicious” is its running length. With the longest song clocking in at just over three minutes, and the entire album lasting less than half-an-hour, it’s impossible for “Vicious” to outstay its welcome. The Hives also wisely alternate intense, thrashing songs with more tuneful numbers, counteracting a common problem with garage rock: most songs on an album sounding identical to one another. Here, no number feels interchangeable, overcoming a flaw from which even the Ramones and their peers’ seminal punk albums suffered.
The cleverness displayed by the Hives on this album is another asset. For Swedes, the band certainly has a good grasp of English, as clever puns like the album’s name and double meanings explored in songs like “Statecontrol” suggest.
Wordplay aside, though, it’s the music that gives “Vicious” its staying power. “Main Offender” and “Hate to Say I Told You So,” the Hives’ signature songs, are perfect, hard-rocking singles. Meanwhile, the band spends the majority of the record paying homage to influences with their songwriting, mixing the punchy scrappiness of bands like the Ramones with AC/DC-esque heavy guitar riffs and thundering percussion. The band even nods its head to more subdued influences, covering Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler’s “Find Another Girl.”
Though most independent labels are lousy with under-produced records by Lo-fi garage bands, “Vicious” is an album that truly rises above the heap. The Hives’ second outing may not contain much substance, but what there is is polished to a sheen capable of matching their shiny white shoes.
Reviewer: Adam Rowan
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Reviewer's Rating: 7.5
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Reader's Votes: 0
Added: 29-Jun-2009
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