Peter Bjorn And John - Writer's Block

A few months ago I heard a song called “Young Folk” by Swedish band Peter Bjorn And John. I thought it was alright, but not really to my liking. Then it started to be played on the radio. At first just every now and then, but soon it was played more and more and MORE. I don’t know if it has happened everywhere, but here in Australia this song has been absolutely thrashed. This is largely due to the radio station Triple J, who christened it “the whistling song” and let their requesters lap it up. I almost didn’t look into the album because I was so damn sick of this song. Well as it turns out, the rest of the album sounds nothing like it. For starters, there are no more female vocals, with singing duties shared amongst the three male band members, John, Bjorn and Peter, who each have their own unique singing style. This is really important because barring the opening track (more on that later) and Young Folk of course, most of the songs are slow and stripped back, focusing largely on the vocal work. It is here where they succeed. Because each song comes on with fresh new sound, making for quite an interesting record. On top of this, they all have really great voices, such that the whole album has an inviting, soothing feel. Though I must admit, the last three tracks are an exception to this. While they’re not horrible, they are a bit of a let down. But thankfully they don’t detract too much from the overall album. Don’t let Young Folk fool you. This is a completely different sound!

Objects Of My Affection – With Young Folk permanently etched into my brain, guiding my expectations, you can imagine I was suitably blown away when this song came blasting on. It really is the only fuller, faster song on the album but still fits in well.

Let’s Call It Off – The album is full of these slower, laid back pieces. They’re not trying to impress anyone, they’re just making straight up pleasant music. I’ve found myself singing this quite a bit, proving their gift for catchiness goes well beyond Young Folk.