Peter Bjorn And John - Living Thing

Three years between albums is a long time when your previous record achieved buzz band status and then you chose to follow it up with an instrumental flop. Such is the case for Sweden's Peter Bjorn And John, who are trying to prove that you should still give a shit about them with the release of their new album, Living Thing, due out on March 31st. Living Thing starts off sort of awkwardly, with handclaps and booming rhythms on the slowed down track, "The Feeling." Things pick up a bit with the dancey vibes of "It Don't Move Me," the dark and moody tones of "Just The Past," and the peppy cheerleader shout-outs and calypso beats on "Nothing To Worry About," but as good as these tracks are, they can't disguise the fact that Living Thing is nowhere near as good as Writer's Block was. I didn't expect PB&J to pull out "Young Folks" version 2.0, but I still was hoping for an album as solid as Writer's Block. With Living Thing, it seems like PB&J are more preoccupied with trying to include all of their eclectic influences (hello, world music) than making a cohesive effort. Overall, not a horrible follow-up, but definitely not PB&J's best work to date.

DOWNLOAD: Peter Bjorn And John - Living Thing [Almost Gold]
Recommended Tracks: "It Don't Move Me," "Just The Past," "Nothing To Worry About," "I Want You!," "Lay It Down."