Hate To Say I Told You So

By Cereal Samurai

After taking a sabbatical from “modern rock revival” in general as of late, with the unavoidable exception of The White Stripes and The Von Bondies finding their way into my stereo and CD player, the one week at the end of July that brought Sweden’s Sahara Hotnights and The Hives into my favourite music stores once more had me itching to give each a listen. After turning the radio dial back from the golden oldies’ station GOLD FM to the modern alternative of Triple J, I broke down and bought both albums without hearing the bulk of them previously - something I haven’t done since I got the internet.

The initial verdict, in case you’re wondering, was The Hives’ Tyrannosaurus Hives being good, and Sahara Hotnights’ Kiss & Tell being great. After after a couple of weeks doing the rounds, though, the final verdict is a bit of a switch. Where The Hives’ effort initially feels less a progression than a retread of previous sounds - or at best fulfilling expectations - the band is undeniably tighter than on previous outings.

On their latest, however, Sahara Hotnights sound a little looser than on their last two albums; a little more relaxed, and a little less anxious to prove their worth. And a little more retro, to boot. The joy of hearing them slap the 80s around is insanely fun, at least for the first few spins. It remains solid, sure, but with each visit it becomes clear that it’s good music, in small doses. The Hives, however, have applied a little bit of brake in a very effective way. The music still kicks hard and strong, and the pace surely doesn’t let up, and yet there’s a definate warmth to be found. Favourite tracks get harder and harder to come by, as each listen reveals the catchiness of a verse previously ignored, or a chorus so delicious you can’t believe you resisted getting into it.

Track 5, A Little More For Little You, was the clearest example of this for me.

At the end of the day, I like them both. I’m loving Tyrannosaurus Hives, though, and it probably plays a bigger part in why Kiss & Tell is getting less and less time in my ears. Fans of either respective group should have no reason to complain, but those who are still warming to the whole rock revival thing - or maybe take 70s rock too seriously and can’t cave in thinking their die hard friends won’t look at them the same way - should still give them both a chance. Just a few quick listens, son.