Peter Bjorn and John - Living Thing

Peter Bjorn and John's new album, "Living Thing" brings a fresh new style to the group. The originally Swedish band has come a long way since they're well known 2006 single, "Young Folks." In Living Thing, the group branches out to a more somber tone. However, in some cases they've seemed to have explored a louder, more brutally honest, "In your face" type of voice. For instance, this change is apparent in songs like "Lay it Down" and "It Don't Move Me." When the catchy pseudo-electronic beat in the beginning of each song clears and the vocals come on, you just know that the usually light hearted upbeat singer, Peter means serious business. The thing about the album is that it's really hard to pick your favorite. We all know that these types of indie bands always have a good 5 catchy songs per album, and half-ass the rest. Not this time, though, the amount of thought put in to each song is phenomenal, and really shows. Whether you prefer the long, slow rythyms of "Just The Past" or the harsh, clever lyrics of "Nothing To Worry About," you'll always find yourself coming back and listening to each song, because even though the immediate style changes from song to song, they all have this underlying PB&J thread that ties 'em all together. So, whether you're a hardcore PB&J addict or one of those newcomers who thinks Bjorn is a girl, you can easily find yourself getting lost in the long, stretchy rythyms of this new album. All in all, I think we can all say that the band's new change of style has really transformed them for the better.



-Charlie