Customer Reviews

Gimme Some

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Writer's Block was a great record, full of hooky rock tunes like Young Folks (the whistling chorus went viral overnight). This record is a return to form after some more mellow discs. There's not a weak song here. The band's roots are showing with riffs lifted from Archie Bell & the Drells classic "Tighten Up" on Dig a Little Deeper, just to mention one of the more obvious homages.

The first single, "Second Chance" is made for heavy airplay. "(Don't Let Them) Cool Off" is a hard charging 80's-ish arena rocker that has to sound great live -- it's in parts punky, REM-ish, and pure PB&J fun. "Black Book" starts off like a White Stripes outtake but late in the track it rocks harder and harder.

There is a lot more guitar up-front on this record than in past efforts and it has a great sound. It's as if REM moved to Sweden and got good again.

Five stars, one of the best CDs so far this year. If you like your rock with jangly guitars and hooky melodies, check out this great disc from Peter Bjorn & John.

i purchased this on vinyl and it is the worst sounding record in my collection. Everything sounds muffled and muddy. Highly, highly disappointed. It even came with a CD that sounds just as bad. It's obvious that the dynamic compression on both the Cd and Vinyl were cranked up. If I were to buy it again I'd save a ton of money and buy the MP3 download. I suggest you do the same. It's too bad, the music itself is great.

Peter Bjorn and John shot to indie-critical claim out of nowhere in 2006 with their 3rd album "Writer's Block", which truly was an instant-classic album, containing so many memorable tracks. The band toured crazily behind it and then took its time to come back with new studio material. There was the side/interim-release of "Seaside Rock", which then was followed in 2009 with "Living Thing", a decidedly much darker album than anything before from the Swedes. Not surprisingly, the album fell mostly on deaf ears here in the US. Now comes the band's 6th album.

"Gimme Some" (11 tracks, 37 min.) kicks off with "Tomorrow Has to Wait", one of the few tentative tunes on here. But after that things pick up and things feel differently from the "Living Thing" album. The energy seems back and the vibration is positive. "Dig a Little Deeper" feels like it could be a radio single, but wait, there's more of that! "Second Chance" is en equally upbeat can't miss sing-along, and is certainly the most infectious tune from the Swedes since "Young Folks" on the "Writer's Block" album. "Breaker Breaker" is a 1'39" rock and roll romp, just great. "May Seem Macabre" takes its time to develop but pays off, with great underlying drums. And so it goes, the album goes non-stop from up-tempo track to hum-along track, and in fact there is only one slow song on here ("Down Like Me") that almost seems out of place on the album. But it all culminates into the closer "I Know You Don't Love Me", which is the "Up Against the Wall" equivalent from "Writer's Block", a long but irresistible song that brings it all back home.

In all, I can't emphasize enough how pleased and surprised (in a very good way) I am with this album, which, there is no denying it, is a return to the sunnier side of the Swedes. At 37 min., it zips along in no time and before you know it you'll find yourself playing this again and again. Whether or not it is done as a cynical or sincere attempt to return to the success of "Writer's Block" is besides the point, as "Gimme Some" is a fun and enjoyable album from start to finish. No, I wouldn't go as far as giving it three thumbs up (as on the album cover art), but it is definitely two thumbs up, as this album has been one of the most unexpected surprises of the year so far. I've seen PB&J in concert a number of number of times over the years, and I cannot wait for them to go on the road again in support of the new album. Welcome back PB&J!

This is a fantastic CD release by the talented Swedish indie pop trio Peter Bjorn & John, titled 'Gimme Some'. The band has reportedly sought out the services of an independant producer for the first time in this album. The result is a well crafted CD, rich in melodies, choruses & harmonies. With the solid tracks/gems "Dig A Little Deeper" (a racy-tempo, wonderful melody & harmonies) & "Eyes" (beautiful guitar improvisation/syncopation plus great drums), they deserve more than three thumbs up for their efforts! Great tracks in this album include "Tomorrow Has To Wait" (great opening track), "Second Chance", "Breaker Breaker" (great drum/guitar combination), "May Seem Macabre", "Down Like Me" (a slow track with great guitar/bass/vocal combination), "Lies" & "I Know You Don't Love Me". Okay tracks include "(Don't Let Them) Cool Off" & the rather 'noisy' "Black Book". On overall, this is a well crafted CD release, deserving a great applause, a highly recommended CD listening.

(Taken from my blog at http://ryanestabrooks.com)

With their last album, Peter, Bjorn and John went to the gallows, wallowing in extremely sparse song creation and going for mood and melody over arrangements. They've used that as a springboard to produce "Gimme Some", quite possibly their strongest record to date.

The two albums could not be any more different: one cold and distanced, the other hard rocking and welcoming. This might possibly be their most approachable record to date, even more inviting than "Writer's Block" which saw them enter public consciousness with "Young Folks" being sung (whistled?) by every schoolkid and adult alike. It sounds like a band who simply wanted to jam out and enjoy each others company, which they have exceeded beyond what they more than likely set out to accomplish.

With this record, they prove that they are a bonafide rock band. "Breaker Breaker" and "Black Book" scorch as they make their way across in less than 2 minutes. "Tomorrow Has to Wait" is just as catchy as anything they've ever done and "Second Chance" sees them bringing it all together in one cohesive track. It was difficult to see where the group would head next after their last album, but thankfully, they just decided to relax and have fun, letting the music spring from their personalities instead of forcing the process.

Great fun throughout. Pure pop. Mainly sunny, happy, high energy, but with an edge that is part New Wave, part Vampire Weekend, and with nibbles of Clash and Ramones. Plenty of 1960s, too. Songs are all short, simple, and full of hooks. Settings are simple and clean, often with repetitive builds of short modules in each instrument. Perhaps the best power pop I have heard since UB40 and Squeeze, who peeps through here and there. High quality throughout. Strongest tracks are marked "S" below.

1. Tomorrow has to wait. Big tribal beat with what sounds like a girl group chorus behind. Sing-song, vaguely pentatonic melody with a mid-tempo, steady drive. Chorus is pure pop. "I don't think that you are sorry for what you did."

2. Dig a little deeper (S). High pop in a ringing West African lilt. Think Vampire Weekend. Sunny, high-spirited, summer song. Hyper-simple setting, chords; raw/happy Buddy Holly rock and roll.

3. Second chance (S). Add a cow bell and slightly darker/heavier tone to the same forward-leaning driving pure pop spirit. Dance!

4. Eyes. New Wave dissonances meet Bo Diddley. Skittish pure pop. Clean, transparent setting, built from short modules layered in repetitive patterns.

5. Breaker breaker. Rippling, driving punk energy. A pop version of the Ramones. I see surfers jerking frantically on a beach around tenor singers pumping it in black.

6. May seem macabre (S). Big-city cool/noir version of Squeeze. Thumping simplicity in bright colors with long-cast shadows creeping everywhere.

7. (Don't let them) cool off. Big classic rock drives with ringing guitars, a thumping bass, anthemic choruses. The bridge is straight Clash.

8. Black book. A high-energy step over the punk/New Wave line with raging guitars and frenetic rhythm section. Very retro, gritty.

9. Down like me. Mellow Beatlesque throw-back. Low key, slower pace than most of the rest. "No one brings me down like me."

10. Lies. I hear a high-energy 1980s version of the Kinks. Filler compared with the rest.

Bought this for myself, and love it, but my 17-year-old son also loves it. It's getting lots of play time -- right up there with his Vampire Weekend CDs. I really like this group's overall sound and upbeat songs. I would definitely check out any future music from them.

The entire cd is great. Not a single song that I do not like. My favorite is "May Seem Macabre" but they are all catchy and unique.

Loving the sounds PB&J have created on this CD.

They're truly one of the keenest and nicest bands ever.