Peter Bjorn and John - Seaside Rock

When I first heard that Peter Bjorn & John were planning to follow-up their hit album, Writer's Block, with an instrumental album, I was a bit confused. Maybe they should have just named it Lyric's Block instead of Seaside Rock, but I digress. Seaside Rock isn't as bad as I thought it would be actually. Although I miss Peter's vocals and PB&J's romanticized lyrics, Seaside Rock has a nice groove to it. It's fresh sounding, with bold guitar solos and bright percussion, best heard in opener, "Inland Empire." It's actually very apt that the trio named the album Seaside Rock, because the entire album sounds like it was recorded on the beach of a tropical island, due to its warm textures, lackadaisical percussion, and Caribbean-influenced guitars. It definitely doesn't sound like it was recorded in their hometown of Stockholm, that's for sure. Elsewhere on the album, horns add color to the excellent, "School of Kraut," a slinky guitar riff and steel drums turn "Say Something (Mukiya)" into an island jam, and seagull sounds and spoken word bits on " Norrlands Riviera" set the theme for the rest of the album. In addition to the wonderfully upbeat and optimistic tone of Seaside Rock, PB&J also released this album the right way--as a digital and vinyl release only. It's the wave of the future, kids, and it's certainly nice to see bands as big as PB&J embracing that.

DOWNLOAD: Peter Bjorn & John - Seaside Rock [Almost Gold/Startime International]
Recommended Tracks: "Inland Empire," "Next Stop Bjursele," "School of Kraut," "At The Seaside."