Peter Bjorn and John Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
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
What The Critics Say
Peter Bjorn and John are three guys from Stockholm who have a knack for fine power pop-influenced and new wave-tinged guitar pop. Peter handles the vocals and guitars, John the drums, and Bjorn mans the bass and various keyboards; between them they have created a fresh and exciting record that is packed with great songs and intriguing sounds. Falling Out is their American debut and it sounds like the work of a band that has been perfecting its sound for years (as they in fact have since 1999). Their tunes are colored by glockenspiels, Speak & Spells, zithers, omnichords, and cheap synths and built on wonderfully inventive and heartfelt arrangements. Beneath the rich and varied sounds are some truly powerful songs. The up-tempo tracks are tense and tough, and Peter's rasping and heart-on-sleeve vocals ride the melodies like a Joe Strummer who was grounded in pop rather than punk. Tracks like "Far Away, by My Side," the surging "It Beats Me Every Time," and "Money" clatter and soar and stick to you like marmalade. Connect the dots and you end up at the New Pornographers or Spoon. As fine as these tracks are, the soul of the record is in the ballads, and that soul has a darkness that comes only from heartbreak. "Does It Matter Now" oozes pain and sports a wrenching guitar-destroying climax. "All Those Expectations" builds from calm acoustic balladry to devastating passages of jagged guitars and mournful harmonica. "Big Black Coffin" is the centerpiece of the album, a big ballad complete with magisterial horns. The rising and falling dynamics and Peter's aching vocals place the song in epic-ville, not far from Wilco if Wilco were three pop-loving Swedes with a Spector influence and a Springsteen heart. Songs like that and "Tailormade," another track that will leave you slack-jawed at the sheer power, place them very close to the best indie rock -- no, just plain music -- being made in 2005. More punk than the Concretes, less frantic than the Shout out Louds, as catchy as the most tuneful of the U.K. post-post-post-punk merchants, Falling Out firmly establishes Peter Bjorn and John as a group to watch out for. Strike that. They are a band that has arrived in all senses of the word. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide
'Peter Bjorn and John'
Release Date 1/1/2002
Tracks 10
Label Beat That!
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Peter Bjorn and John's first album (2002's Peter Bjorn and John) is a rambunctious and thrilling blast of energy, promise, and well-crafted hooks. The trio took their time before releasing the album (they formed in 1999), and the time spent honing their craft paid off. The songs are memorable, the performances tight and nuanced, the production flawless. It sounds like the work of a band at the very top of their game (though later records show they were just getting going). The writing is split for the most part between Peter and Björn, with the former firmly following the Beatles/Costello path of frantic pop with a twist, the latter pulling songs from no discernible source, though some like "Falling and Passing" are loosely based in new wave. The best of the batch (like "I Don't Know What I Want Us to Do," "Matchmaker," "People They Know," and "100 Meters of Hurdles") will end up on their inevitable greatest-hits collection, while the rest are merely examples of the best indie rock/pop of the early 2000s. Peter Bjorn and John may have made a big splash in 2006/2007, but this record shows they were swimming with the big boys from the very beginning. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide
