From their artsy, whistle-laden world, Peter Bjorn and John deliver its latest album, Living Thing. Though the Swedish indie-pop trio had been around for roughly a decade before the success of their 2006 single ""Young Folks"" catapulted them into a world of mainstream radio stations and ""Grey's Anatomy"" soundtracks. With Living Thing, Peter Bjorn and John are out to show that they are not a one-hit wonder destined to be torn apart by VH1 commentaries of the future.
To the delight of both PB&J and its expanded following, the group proves this with flying colors. The album is a masterpiece of musical creation, filled with creative composition and vocal brilliancy. Although a large portion of the album meditates on a spoiled relationship, Living Thing still manages to be an upbeat and enjoyable listen.
The album's name is also fitting—there is a lot of life in the record. Something about Peter Bjorn and John's sound is inherently organic and lively. The creativity and energy it contains is something all its own, breathing life through the speakers it emerges from.
One of the high points on Living Thing is the track ""It Don't Move Me."" Starting with a riff oddly reminiscent of ""The People's Court"" intro, the song dramatically lays out its irritability within the first few notes.
With the bitter taste of a failed relationship poisoning his mouth, lead singer Peter Morén sings with complacency about how ""you don't move me no more, and you're no longer mine."" Similar to much of Peter Bjorn and John's other work, a strong, fundamental rhythm anchors ""It Don't Move Me,"" adding a harshness to the already depressing vocals declaring ""everything is done.""
On a lighter, not-so-final note, ""Stay This Way"" tells of the moment in a relationship where everything is perfect. Morén stresses ""‘Cause it makes me happy... I don't want to go back / I don't want to move on... I just want to have you here.""
With ooo's and snaps providing a backdrop for the tender lyrics, ""Stay This Way"" speaks beautifully of the love the moment possesses. However, the reality of time and its promise that this moment will end has a strong presence in the song. Morén's vocals are more mournful than celebratory, making for a bittersweet love song and a terrific addition to Living Thing.
""Lay It Down"" is the most vibrant component to PB&J's latest release. The song opens with the lines ""Hey, shut the fuck up boy / You are starting to piss me off / Take your hands off that girl / You have already had enough,"" sure to catch every listener's attention quickly.
These somewhat threatening lyrics narrate an upbeat, lively melody, making for a bit of humor between the mismatched concepts. The song continues to rip into this ""boy"" for the remainder of the song, giving the song a solid three and a half minutes of hostile hilarity.
When all 12 tracks are added up, Living Thing is a truly exceptional album. Peter Bjorn and John have combined different melodies, emotions and rhythms into a perfectly cohesive compilation. The album definitely contains songs sure to find their way to the CW primetime lineup, but also gems you won't hear whistled by every fifth person on the street for months to come. It is a consistent, attention-grabbing piece of work that should not be missed.
