Peter, Bjorn and John's Living Thing: Review

In 2006 Peter, Bjorn, and John released their third album, Writer's Block, and while the band had always had a knack for penning fantastic hooks over simple pop structures, this album marked a brilliant step forward for the trio. The songs were almost exclusively focused on melody and rhythm. An intricate beat would always set the stage before a minimalist swath of instrumentation was added, instrumentation that merely served as a compliment to unavoidably catchy melodies. The album saw the band gaining critical and popular success. Reviews were lauding while Kanye West remixes and television commercials upped the group's seemingly low profile.

Now here we are three years later and instead of Peter, Bjorn, and John simply following in the footsteps of their breakout album, they have returned with a lush and multifaceted album. Opener "The Feeling" sets the stage for the group's new direction. A synth swell gives way to a tribal beat that is backed by "do do" vocals, hand claps, and pinging percussion. While the song still leaves plenty of empty space, it is the tiny details that show the band has become more obsessive with their studio creations. While the band have always emphasized a certain lo-fi aesthetic via dusty production values, they now also seem concerned with studio manipulation and experimentation.

"It Don't Move Me" sways with early-dance music beats and blips. The verse is a stripped and sultry come on before a beefy piano plunk, and haunting synth kick in for the chorus. "Just the Past" is a rickety lament built on clacking, near-tuneless strings, a soft vibraphone melody, and a simple drum beat. It is both beautiful and uncomfortable, a perfect encapsulation of confused emotions.

"Nothing to Worry About" marks an even larger departure however. The song starts with a children's choir before waltzing into a twangy, two-step vibe that would be right at home on a number of indie hip-hop artists albums. "I'm Losing my Mind" returns a bit to the garage-pop of previous Peter, Bjorn, and John releases before moving onto "Living Thing" a nearly all-percussive track that sounds like Paul Simon co-wrote it during his Graceland days.

As the album closes out the band are still tapping new muses for inspiration. "Blue period Picasso" is pure '80s pop, while "4 out of 5" taps into a Velvet Underground vibe, and "Last Night" is an airy piece of melancholy based on echoing keyboard chords and not much else.

The boys in Peter, Bjorn, and John may have changed tactics on this album, but at the base their impeccable pop skills are still intact, meaning that this album is an easily accessible batch of tracks with fantastic replay value. Not many groups can craft songs as well as this trio and Living Thing only serves as a testament to that fact.