Peter Bjorn and John

Peter Bjorn and John's whistling "Young Folks" was an inescapable pop gem of 2006, and the new fans who found their way to the Swedish trio's Writer's Block were pleased to find that it was no one-hit wonder. However new the group was to much of its American audience, though, they'd been playing throughout the decade. With expectations suddenly sky-high, PB&J put out a pretty if largely diversionary limited-edition record (2008's Seaside Rock), Peter Moren spent time on his solo career, and Bjorn Yttling beefed up his production resume–most notably with Lykke Li's Youth Novels. Still, the question remained: would they be able to recapture the seemingly easy magic of Writer’s Block? And, even if they did, would people still be around to take notice?

People certainly took notice of the band’s recent stint at SXSW, where they were held up as the poster boys for the perils of the festival (no time to properly sound check, etc.). When Living Thing begins, it sounds like it, too, will be a bit of a trainwreck. “The Feeling” is an alarmingly unimaginative and plodding opener, bogged down by herky-jerky, sterile beats. There were some raised eyebrows when it was announced that PB&J would be accompanying Depeche Mode on tour later in 2009, but retro synth-pop like “It Don’t Move Me” sounds like an audition tape for that honor. The style is carried out competently, but certainly isn’t the group’s strength. There’s more handclapping and halting rhythms on “Nothing to Worry About,” this time with a melody that makes the song memorable–but a poorly used children’s choir (always a risk) that derails the sing-songy chorus.

Catchiness isn’t much of a problem for PB&J, but resonance is a little more elusive. The most memorable song on the album, “Lay It Down,” wins that honor not just because of a strong vocal hook but because of the cheerful, surprising profanity it contains. To the trio’s credit, Living Thing never sounds like it’s trying to regurgitate the winning formula of Writer’s Block; on tracks like “Lay It Down,” they even sound like they’re trying to playfully subvert the stereotypes of friendly Swedish indie-pop and twee love songs. Of course, they still deliver some songs you can put on a mix for a special someone, too. After a tough beginning, Living Thing regains its footing as it goes along, and the second half is generally stronger than the first; one highlight is “Blue Period Picasso,” which shows off the trio’s affecting harmonies over a bed of gentle blips and beeps.

—Adam McKibbin
03.26.09

Since "Young Folks" was such an inescapable smash for them in 2007, it would have been easy for Peter Bjorn and John to try to follow in its bubblegummy footsteps and become a happy, shiny pop band with a strong line in novelty songs. Instead, the trio first released an instrumental album (Seaside Rock) in late 2008 and then returned with the much darker, less bubbly album Living Thing in the spring of 2009. That being said, Writer's Block wasn't that upbeat, and apart from "Young Folks" and a couple other tracks, its sound and lyrical themes were pretty gloomy at heart. There were plenty of guitars, though, and that's a big difference, as Living Thing continues the trio's effort to refine and reduce its sound into just the essential elements needed to put the songs across. To that end, guitars make only occasional cameos and basses, too, are rarely heard, as the bulk of the album is based around percussion and voices. The percussion isn't straight drums, usually they are tweaked or electronic, and often the instruments the band does feature, like piano and synthesizer, are used for their percussive value. It's an approach often found in hip-hop, and it's possible that the bands' association with Kanye West opened their ears to new ways of presenting their songs. Like Kanye on 808s & Heartbreak, PB&J are also infatuated by the icy textures of synth pop on Living Thing. There are healthy amounts of cold synths, FXed guitars, and detached vocals, but like on 808s, there is a very human heart beating beneath the machines and through all the songs.

You can hear it in Peter's vocals (less so in Bjorn and John's vocal features, which take up more space on this album than on Writer's Block and serve to dilute the identity of the band some, but may help to keep the band together longer), in the heart-rending lyrics, in the heartbreak beats, and in the emotionally electric songs. The only song with any hope of replicating a fraction of "Young Folks"' success could be the first single, "Nothing to Worry About," which instead of whistling has children's voices in the naggingly catchy chorus as the hook. (The better choice for a single, the insistent and tough rocker "Lay It Down," won't catch on because the chorus features the kind of words you might not want your 12-year-old singing along with.) There are plenty of songs that do deliver the expected pop hooks and emotional weight, though. "Living Thing," with its singalong chorus that references the ELO song of the same name, the '50s pop-influenced ballad "Stay This Way" (which has a ripping stylophone solo), the comforting and sweet "Just the Past," and the New Order-ish "It Don't Move Me" are as good as anything the band has ever done. It's been kind of a long journey from the simple power pop of the band's first records to the complex and highly arranged sound of Living Thing, but there are no signs that the trip is over. And if Peter Bjorn and John keep putting out albums as challenging, intelligent, and emotional as this, there is no reason for anyone to get off the bandwagon any time soon. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide