Peter Bjorn and John--Writer's Block

Complete with a march drum-beat, on come the Swedish indie bands. The Concretes, The Shout Out Louds, and The Legends all come across the ocean riding their own sonic waves in a Swedish Invasion of sorts. Well, maybe not that dramatic, but the one supplying the march drum-beat is Peter Bjorn and John, the veteran three-piece (Pete, Bjorn, and John, duh) from Stockholm.

The drum-beat specifically comes from the almost-opening track “Objects of my Affection,” which gives a rough outline of what the rest of the album feels like: 60’s nostalgia, and filled to the brim. The song is passionately Velvet Underground-like, together with a massive vintage sound that could easily fit in a few decades ago. “Young Folks” continues in the same way, including folk influences as well with rhythmic whistling and duet romantic vocals. Sappy? Almost, but the climactic chorus of “And we don’t care about the young folks” pulls it off. “Paris 2004” picks up where “Young Folks” left off, more duet vocals and cutesy sappiness, yet with more modern sounds than vintage ones.

With a few odd exceptions (the dysfunctional hip-hop beat in “Amsterdam”), Writer’s Block is primarily 60’s influenced. From the psychedelic fun in “Start to Melt” to the Beach Boy-esque “Let’s Call It Off,” Peter Bjorn and John use the 60’s to their advantage, all the while adding their own bits and pieces that make Writer’s Block an interesting and enjoyable listen. If you’ve enjoyed what else has been pumping out of Scandinavia, check these guys out.

(Published at ComfortComes.com)