Peter Bjorn and John

Living Thing (Almost Gold)

By Aiden Landman
Published: April 28th, 2009 | 9:00am

Living Thing, the new album from Swedish pop-sters Peter Bjorn and John, is a record that marks a new direction for the band.

2007's U.S. release of the critically lauded and commercially saturated Writer's Block was something of a coming out party for the band. Sure, they had been recording and touring for eight years at that point, but their music hadn't yet been featured on television, movies, and tweenage mixes.

Now, on the cusp of their 10-year anniversary, the band's sound and vision have become more darkly tinted. As opposed to filling an entire record with passable copies of Writer's Block's runaway hit, “Young Folks,” Peter Bjorn and John have instead assembled an album of more mature musings on the subjects of life, love, and business.

The result is a slightly mixed bag, tilted more toward quality songs and less toward singular vision. As such, the album feels uneven. There are standout tracks, such as “Nothing To Worry About” and “Lay It Down.” However, there are also many tunes on Living Thing that tend to stake out the middle ground and take few chances, musically or lyrically.

All in all, it is a good, but not great, record — one that may not leave you fulfilled, but at least won't make you feel ripped off. When everything clicks, Living Thing is a perfect summer jam. When it doesn't, there is always the skip button.

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