Review: Peter Bjorn And John’s “Living Thing”

  Peter Bjorn and  John are among the most interesting and compelling groups to come out of Sweden within the last generation.  Really, within the last ten years or so, Sweden has seemingly become a hotbed of hipness.  PB&J’s Bjorn Yttling has particularly been at the forefront of the indie-rock boom, producing albums by the Caesars, Shout Out Louds and others.  Just last year, he produced Lykke Li’s rightly raved about album, “Youth Novels.” In 2007, I declared that PB&J’s album “Writer’s Block” was the best album of the year. In 2008, the group released the vinyl-only, rarely-heard instrumental record, “Seaside Rock.”  Now they have returned to more traditional territory (in both song-structure and commercial-availability) with “Living Thing.” Perhaps “traditional” isn’t really an appropriate word.  “Living Thing” is quite an unusual yet appealing record.  It’s an economic exercise in sparseness.  Instrumentation is kept to a minimum with songs often fueled by spare drum-beats and experimental sounds.  The guitar walls that fueled “Writer’s Block” standouts like “Up Against The Wall” and “Objects Of My Affection” are gone.  It feels a little like they tore down their whole sound, scrapped everything and have now started again.  It also seems like this is a full-on attempt at trying to establish lasting pop-stardom.  They had their one landmark hit with “Young Folks,” but now is the time for them to cement their legacy as a band.  They succeed whole-heartedly!  What makes “Living Thing” so interesting is that is so obviously aiming to be a pop record, but it isn’t dumbed down for the masses.  There are some really strange sounds on this record.  PB&J are pleasantly subversive in this way.  They should be commended for daring to make a record simultaneously pop-driven and innovative.  These days, that’s a rare combination.  “The Feeling” begins with a slight sonic whoosh, ushering in a repeated tone which sounds like the noise your car makes when you try to start it without buckling your seat-belt.  The lyrics set the tone for the record.  “I feel it. Can you feel it? There’s something in the air…..Please prepare for change.” Truth be told, in many ways this couldn’t be more different than anything  on “Writer’s Block.”  That album was built on natural, timeless sounds.  This sounds more synthetic, but still maintaining a timeless sense of structure.  Once again, it’s a delicate balance.  “It Don’t Move Me” is powered by a low piano line and a beat.  Peter (Morén) sings this song in his distinct, nasally tone, which has become culturally familiar.  He sings the majority of the tracks on the album, only offering Bjorn and John (Eriksson) the mic from time to time.  This is closer to techno-pop or hip-hop in its structure than anything on “Writer’s Block.”   Morén got all his folkiness out on his solo album from last year, “The Last Tycoon,” so here he probably, rightfully feels freer to explore.  “Just The Past” is another Peter-led number.  It  starts off as a comforting, yet slightly eerie piano recital, but then evolves into something subtle, yet triumphant. The beats in the background sound like bullets in the distance as it marches along with its catchy melodic refrain. “Nothing To Worry About” is perhaps PB&J’s finest pop moment.  Months ago, the band leaked the song to Kanye West’s blog and West ran with it, hyping it every way he could.  No wonder West liked it.  It has the groove and bounce his music no longer possesses.  (By the way, just because Kanye West likes it, it doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t!)  Naysayers will point out that this track has a very similar beat to Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl,” which is sort of true, but this is an infinitely better track.  (For one thing, this track won’t ridiculously teach you how to spell the word “bananas!”)  Led by a chorus assisted by two young girls, (Maja Johansson and Jenny Larsson) this song is insanely catchy.  On Lykke Li’s album, Bjorn’s production found tracks beginning with distorted, bare vocal chorus refrains.  The same technique is used here.  This song should make you very happy, even if you do have something to worry about.  At the very least, this should momentarily make you forget your troubles.  Bjorn leads, “I’m Losing My Mind.”  It’s a sparse repetitive number, but at the same time it sounds like late-period Depeche Mode.  Maybe this is because Bjorn’s voice here takes on a very Dave Gahan-ian tone.  It’s spacious and ominous and as the sounds repeat and swirl you begin to feel the insanity discussed in the track.  It’s quite effective. The title track is next.  It enters with a strangely picked guitar.  For a brief moment you may think it’ll turn into something akin to the Police song, “Voices Inside My Head” but instead it becomes much warmer.  Ultimately, it winds up sounding like something Paul Simon would’ve recorded with Ladysmith Black Mambazo.  It also has the album’s most beautiful moment when Peter sings the wonderful “You don’t have to look me in the eye” section.  This is priceless and should be a single. “I Want You!” is a heartfelt song, led by a nice echo-drenched guitar riff.  The song is both sweet and calming.  “Lay It Down” on the other hand is a humorous and uproarious battle-cry. You can’t imagine this band ever really recording an angry song, (they seem so mild-mannered!) but this is it.  This is a throw-down (I’m guessing) aimed at the guy at the party who thinks he’s the best thing in the world.  He thinks he’s the best thing to happen to any woman he’s ever met. He’s loud.  He’s difficult. He won’t take no for an answer.  Here, Peter has had enough and utters the uncharacteristically foul-mouthed chorus, “Hey, shut the f___ up boy!  You are starting to piss me off!  Take your hands off that girl.  You have already had enough!”    It’s a celebratory, strangely upbeat song.  No wonder it was the initial single, despite it’s very un-radio-friendly chorus. (It should be noted that once again, the distorted, isolated chorus is used to begin the track.) “Stay This Way” is a hauntingly lovely love song, led initially by an almost Asian-sounding string section.  Peter sings sweetly while Bjorn and John sing back-up in their best falsettos, singing, “Why can’t we stay this way?”  It’s a slow song with an epic movie-theme quality.  “Blue Period Picasso” is sung from the point of view of a painting.  Again, the distorted, isolated chorus commences the track, before it becomes lo-fidelity techno-pop.  The track has got some clever touches including Peter singing (as the painting) “You just kindly stole my heart,” while the background vocals sing “A world-famous art thief.”  “4 Out Of Five” is Bjorn’s peaceful moment in line with Peter’s “Stay This Way” and John’s “I Want You!”  Listen carefully, though.  This song isn’t quite as heartfelt.  In fact it is a somewhat bitter song about lies, and being done wrong.  He coldly sings, “You win, just a little but you win.  That pretty face is telling lies.  It’s plaster more than skin.”  It’s an angry song disguised as a beautiful slow-dance.  The album ends with “Last Night,” John’s airy, soulful lament.  The drums echo and charge occasionally threatening to blast off at any moment, but they never do.  It brings to mind the tension of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight.”  At its core, it’s just a pretty, sad, piano-led song and interesting percussion. Like much of this album, it’s uniquely beautiful! “Living Thing” proves that the popularity of “Writer’s Block” was no fluke.  Fans who have heard the band’s previous album, “Falling Out” already knew this, but hopefully this album will boost them beyond their current cult status.  “Living Thing” is an amazing, highly intricate, experimental record. If it doesn’t immediately grab you like “Writer’s Block,” give it a few more listens.  It’s a very exciting display of musical ingenuity.  Exploring minimalism, Peter Bjorn and John actually have shown us that less actually is more!