Sweden’s The Hives are back and doing what they do best - rockin’.

Lex Hives is the latest offering from the Swedish quintet - their first full length since 2007’s The Black and White Album. Howlin’ Pete and co. went back to their roots for their newest release, explaining to Triple J that to achieve the sound they wanted, they purposely created something that other artists were not doing. An interesting concept and the resulting record is truly a Hives affair with blazing guitar, well-executed (albeit repetitive) sing-a-longs and a sound that is consistent.

The track listing of the record is excellent as it grabs your attention immediately from the get go; opener ‘Come On!’ consists only of those very two words and is slightly Ramones-esque in its nature, lead single ‘Go Right Ahead’ is a catchy romp which leads into the blistering ‘1000 Answers’ - my personal favourite. As the album moves on, there is a touch of experimentation with ‘Without The Money’ which could almost pass as a 60s pop song; the last three songs of the album clock in at just over eight minutes all up and are a furiously fast and great way to end Lex Hives.

Lex Hives has divided some; fans and critics alike seem to either love it or deride it as their least interesting record to date. I feel the album definitely has its merits, plenty of high points and is packed with The Hives goodness that we’ve come to know and love but admittedly does have some lulls. That should not take away from what the album is though: an energetic, fun and no bullshit approach to music. Lex Hives is out now.

Review Score: 7.8 out of 10