Peter Bjorn and John
Thursday, April 2, 2009 | midnight
The cool kids in peter Bjorn and John seem to live in a state of constant wonderment, where everyday occurrences seem fresh and totally new. Their buoyant Swedish pop sometimes sounds like it could have been created by melody savants learning how to play their instruments on the fly, like they’ve just discovered how to work their first drum machine and can’t get over all the Nintendo noises they’ve just figured out how to make.
“Last time we got high/We thought we had the puzzle worked out,” Peter Moren sings on opening track “The Feeling” (a song bouncy enough to make Mates of State jealous). But it’s all the better that PB&J came back down to earth, because their confusion can be a joy to listen to.
The sweet/sad “Just The Past” is about the kind of youthful crush (how youthful? Sample line: “Is it your parents?”) that takes over your entire being, about trying to find the proper opening and never quite getting there. It’s adorable chamber pop on par with the most romantic moments from Stars and Stephin Merritt.
This album is pretty unbalanced, though, the way young folks can be. “I‘m Losing My Mind,” “Living Thing” and “Lay It Down” all have Beatles-esque moments but also spacey, chaotic parts that don’t quite work. The moments that veer into Flaming Lips territory mostly flame out, but you’re still happy these cool kids gave it a shot.
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