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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
As fine an album as this might be (and indeed it is), it serves a much higher purpose for which it must be immediately recognised. The twee Swedish trio have single-handedly tugged whistling out of popular music's pits where it was stuffed by German soft metal granddads The Scorpions back in the early 90s. It's not even particularly proficient whistling – it's a bit skewiff really, a little out of tune – but it's tacked onto the irresistibly bobbing, Velvet-Underground-via-The-Concretes infectiousness of "Young Folks", augmented by the warm-ember vocals of ex-Concrete Victoria Bergsman herself, and by association sounds fairly heroic. Accidentally anthemic, perhaps, but anthemic nonetheless. Result.
Which sets a tone for the rest of this off-kilter lo-fi record. Draw a slightly wonky line from Simon & Garfunkel through to The Shins, making sure you take in the sharp Scandinavian indie-pop of the '90s (Wannadies, The Cardigans) and modern day peers (Radio Dept, Shout Out Louds) and you have a folk album that isn't really all that folk, swimming through its own dreamy washes of ambition. The drumming on tracks like "Let's Call It Off" and "Paris 2004" is so elementary you might as well add your own, but it keeps the intuitive, simplistic 60's beat melodies trickling steadily onwards. The underlying appeal is that things could snap like an elastic band at any moment, that things are beautifully limited. Less writers block, more loving the detail of your first chapter so much you have no inclination to move on. --James Berry
Product Description
This Swedish trio (Peter Moren, Bjorn Yttling and John Eriksson) who mix the sounds of classic '60s Baroque Pop, Power Pop and New Wave, creating and exciting and original sound. Fans of Sahara Hot Nights, The Concretes, Badly Drawn Boy and The Shout-Out-Louds and Swedish Pop music in general should seek this out immediately! 'The songs are Great' New York Times, Young folks is the coolest song ever to appear on Grey's Anatomy' Rolling Stone. US only edition includes a bonus disc of rarities!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Swedish pop group Peter Bjorn and John are apparently trying to confuse us, and for a brief time, it works.
Their third album "Writer's Block" has the misfortune to open on a rather saggy note, but fortunately hoists itself up for a blurry blend of indiepop and northern atmospheric synth. So straggle through the first two tracks, because the indiepop that follows is solid, multilayered and quite excellent.
It opens with a faint, atmospheric little track that sounds like Sigur Ros tuning up. Then suddenly it careens into nonstop guitar pop in "Object of My Affection," with drums pounding right over those steely riffs. "And you still can make sense/if you just show up and present an honest face/instead of that grin," Peter Morén sings happily.
Not only is it a lot simpler than the other songs, but I got a headache from those relentless drums and guitar. At that point I was groaning, anticipating a whole album of the same. But I was wrong.
Things start perking up with the shimmying, sunny indiepop of "Young Folks," which has some enchantingly feathery edges and constant whistling. The other songs have a similar mix of shimmery keyboard and solid indiepop -- thumpy little marches, swirling psychedelic hymns, gentle ballads blooming into driving guitarpop, folksy ballads, and the shimmering prettiness of "The Chills."
For your info, there is no Peter Bjorn -- it's actually "Peter, Bjorn and John," three Swedish guys who play the instruments and all provide vocals. And despite a couple of mediocre songs on "Writer's Block," these guys really know how to make great indiepop -- lots of northern wind and snow, and a delightfully sunny 1970s pop mentality.
There's plenty of ringing, peppy guitar and unstoppable bass from Morén and Björn Yttling, while John Eriksson provides some fast drumming as well. Yttling swaddles almost all the melodies in a hazy edge of soft, colourful synth, and turning some of them into bittersweet, chilly pop. Most of the songs are pretty upbeat, even with a bit of harmonica and whistling to remind us to be cheery.
Much of the album is about sort of ambiguous -- half of it seems to be about breaking up with a lover, and the other half is about how much you adore them. "Your tongue is sharp/but I miss the taste of it/You said time heals/there's not enough of it..." Moren sings in his slightly nasal voice. It's just a few songs after, "Hours seems to disappear/everyone is leaving -- I'm still with you."
"Writer's Block" has a couple tracks that don't quite fit in, but the overall album is a delicious blend of cheery pop melodies and blurry keyboard. Definitely a good listen.
Their third album "Writer's Block" has the misfortune to open on a rather saggy note, but fortunately hoists itself up for a blurry blend of indiepop and northern atmospheric synth. So straggle through the first two tracks, because the indiepop that follows is solid, multilayered and quite excellent.
It opens with a faint, atmospheric little track that sounds like Sigur Ros tuning up. Then suddenly it careens into nonstop guitar pop in "Object of My Affection," with drums pounding right over those steely riffs. "And you still can make sense/if you just show up and present an honest face/instead of that grin," Peter Morén sings happily.
Not only is it a lot simpler than the other songs, but I got a headache from those relentless drums and guitar. At that point I was groaning, anticipating a whole album of the same. But I was wrong.
Things start perking up with the shimmying, sunny indiepop of "Young Folks," which has some enchantingly feathery edges and constant whistling. The other songs have a similar mix of shimmery keyboard and solid indiepop -- thumpy little marches, swirling psychedelic hymns, gentle ballads blooming into driving guitarpop, folksy ballads, and the shimmering prettiness of "The Chills."
For your info, there is no Peter Bjorn -- it's actually "Peter, Bjorn and John," three Swedish guys who play the instruments and all provide vocals. And despite a couple of mediocre songs on "Writer's Block," these guys really know how to make great indiepop -- lots of northern wind and snow, and a delightfully sunny 1970s pop mentality.
There's plenty of ringing, peppy guitar and unstoppable bass from Morén and Björn Yttling, while John Eriksson provides some fast drumming as well. Yttling swaddles almost all the melodies in a hazy edge of soft, colourful synth, and turning some of them into bittersweet, chilly pop. Most of the songs are pretty upbeat, even with a bit of harmonica and whistling to remind us to be cheery.
Much of the album is about sort of ambiguous -- half of it seems to be about breaking up with a lover, and the other half is about how much you adore them. "Your tongue is sharp/but I miss the taste of it/You said time heals/there's not enough of it..." Moren sings in his slightly nasal voice. It's just a few songs after, "Hours seems to disappear/everyone is leaving -- I'm still with you."
"Writer's Block" has a couple tracks that don't quite fit in, but the overall album is a delicious blend of cheery pop melodies and blurry keyboard. Definitely a good listen.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
On their third album, it seems that Peter (Morén), Bjorn (Yttling), and John (Erikkson) have really hit their stride. Writer's Block is an eleven track, forty-five minute gem of an release that mixes styles and dynamics amazingly, shifting between fuzzy shoegazer-style pop (with a 60s style bent), playful male/female sing-alongs, and even some semi lo-fi shufflings that all manage to sound like they belong on the same album. Toss in some very interesting production touches and you've got yourself one of the better pop albums to come out this year.
"Objects of My Affection" follows a short field recording track that opens the release, and kicks things off on a strong foot with guitars that are alternately jangling and full-on hazy guitar sonics. Along with a serviceable rhythm section and some crooning, but slightly nasal vocals, it sounds something like Buddy Holly as re-imagined by Kevin Shields. "Young Folks" was the first single from the album and it's obvious why due to its sheer immediacy. The track starts out sparse, with only a rubbery bass and some crisp drumming backing the vocals of Morén. It slowly morphs, though, as ex-Concretes singer Victoria Bergsman coo's her part, and explodes into something even more vibrant as the two come together for a soaring chorus.
There are plenty of gems on the album, and the release switches up enough to keep things from getting anywhere close to stale. "Amsterdam" is the mid-tempo tumbler that mixes some choppy beats, loopy synths, and the more baritone (and sleepy sounding) vocals of Yttling into another track that invites singing-along. "The Chills" changes things up even more, mixing some more austere synth sounds with some hand percussion and subdued breakbeats while detached vocals fall in alongside the instrumentation almost perfectly.
The only minor stumbling blocks on the album are the short "Start To Melt" (which feels more like the sketch of a great track given the surrounding pieces) and "Poor Cow" (which closes the release on a semi-clunky note), but even those two tracks still have things to enjoy, and surrounding them is a batch of pieces that range from wistful to joyous, often in the same track. An excellent third album from the Swedish trio, Writer's Block should make sure that the group remains in obscurity no more.
(from almost cool music reviews)
"Objects of My Affection" follows a short field recording track that opens the release, and kicks things off on a strong foot with guitars that are alternately jangling and full-on hazy guitar sonics. Along with a serviceable rhythm section and some crooning, but slightly nasal vocals, it sounds something like Buddy Holly as re-imagined by Kevin Shields. "Young Folks" was the first single from the album and it's obvious why due to its sheer immediacy. The track starts out sparse, with only a rubbery bass and some crisp drumming backing the vocals of Morén. It slowly morphs, though, as ex-Concretes singer Victoria Bergsman coo's her part, and explodes into something even more vibrant as the two come together for a soaring chorus.
There are plenty of gems on the album, and the release switches up enough to keep things from getting anywhere close to stale. "Amsterdam" is the mid-tempo tumbler that mixes some choppy beats, loopy synths, and the more baritone (and sleepy sounding) vocals of Yttling into another track that invites singing-along. "The Chills" changes things up even more, mixing some more austere synth sounds with some hand percussion and subdued breakbeats while detached vocals fall in alongside the instrumentation almost perfectly.
The only minor stumbling blocks on the album are the short "Start To Melt" (which feels more like the sketch of a great track given the surrounding pieces) and "Poor Cow" (which closes the release on a semi-clunky note), but even those two tracks still have things to enjoy, and surrounding them is a batch of pieces that range from wistful to joyous, often in the same track. An excellent third album from the Swedish trio, Writer's Block should make sure that the group remains in obscurity no more.
(from almost cool music reviews)
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
01. Writer's Block I still do not understand the need for an Intro track. At least this one is short and quiet, unlike many.
02. Objects of My Affection The music on this track has a very righteous, hold-your-head-high feel to it. It is nice when someone comes into our life and makes a positive impact. If you're looking for a song to reflect that, look no further.
03. Young Folks Young Folks is probably the best-known single from the trio. Featuring Victoria Bergsman (until recently of The Concretes), this song is regarded as one of the best of 2006 (Pitchfork #5). The lyrics on most of the album are incredibly charming and profound. This song is an excellent example of that.
04. Amsterdam "Baby went to Amsterdam..." I can't help it; I love this song. It is admittedly not as good as Young Folks, but it is my guilty pleasure track on this cd. For some reason I enjoy the non-challance of the song as it is sung very matter-of-factly.
05. Start to Melt I am not a huge fan of the noisy, screechy feel of this one. It is hard to understand, and not my favorite track, but at least it is short at just over 2 minutes.
06. Up Against the Wall I love the duality of this song. The pleading lyrics against the upbeat percussion gives you two ways to listen to this song. You can opt for the drums and bob your head or for the lyrics, but be careful you might find yourself singing along unexpectedly.
07. Paris 2004 This is a simple little song which chronicles the end of a trip and its immediate aftermath for two lovers. Not a lot happens, but they certainly emphasize the feelings they have for each other. If it were a little less repetitive I would really enjoy this song.
08. Let's Call It Off With such a wide variety of musical influences on the album, this is the song that I feel is most closely linked to Young Folks from an instrumental perspective. Lyrically they take us down a different path as they turn the page to a relationship that just didn't work out. This is a good song which works well on this album, but with this subject matter it might be hard to find a place for it on a mixtape.
09. The Chills There is a bizarrely psychadelic cloud hanging over this song that makes it almost ridiculous to listen to. I like how they added the echo element to the vocals, though. Somehow I still kind of like this song.
10. Roll the Credits This song weighs in at nearly 7 minutes long and has an instrumental intro that goes for almost one minute. With such drawn out feel, I would expect this song to actually end the disc. All of the fun and enthusiasm that went into the rest of the album was left out of this song. Place it at the end of the album so I can turn it off missing other tracks in the exchange.
11. Poor Cow This isn't the best song on the album, but it definitely doesn't deserve to be buried behind the track before it. I can't imagine that I would ever go to this sond directly, but if it came on shuffle, I probable would not turn it off, unless I was doing anything that required any energy.
02. Objects of My Affection The music on this track has a very righteous, hold-your-head-high feel to it. It is nice when someone comes into our life and makes a positive impact. If you're looking for a song to reflect that, look no further.
03. Young Folks Young Folks is probably the best-known single from the trio. Featuring Victoria Bergsman (until recently of The Concretes), this song is regarded as one of the best of 2006 (Pitchfork #5). The lyrics on most of the album are incredibly charming and profound. This song is an excellent example of that.
04. Amsterdam "Baby went to Amsterdam..." I can't help it; I love this song. It is admittedly not as good as Young Folks, but it is my guilty pleasure track on this cd. For some reason I enjoy the non-challance of the song as it is sung very matter-of-factly.
05. Start to Melt I am not a huge fan of the noisy, screechy feel of this one. It is hard to understand, and not my favorite track, but at least it is short at just over 2 minutes.
06. Up Against the Wall I love the duality of this song. The pleading lyrics against the upbeat percussion gives you two ways to listen to this song. You can opt for the drums and bob your head or for the lyrics, but be careful you might find yourself singing along unexpectedly.
07. Paris 2004 This is a simple little song which chronicles the end of a trip and its immediate aftermath for two lovers. Not a lot happens, but they certainly emphasize the feelings they have for each other. If it were a little less repetitive I would really enjoy this song.
08. Let's Call It Off With such a wide variety of musical influences on the album, this is the song that I feel is most closely linked to Young Folks from an instrumental perspective. Lyrically they take us down a different path as they turn the page to a relationship that just didn't work out. This is a good song which works well on this album, but with this subject matter it might be hard to find a place for it on a mixtape.
09. The Chills There is a bizarrely psychadelic cloud hanging over this song that makes it almost ridiculous to listen to. I like how they added the echo element to the vocals, though. Somehow I still kind of like this song.
10. Roll the Credits This song weighs in at nearly 7 minutes long and has an instrumental intro that goes for almost one minute. With such drawn out feel, I would expect this song to actually end the disc. All of the fun and enthusiasm that went into the rest of the album was left out of this song. Place it at the end of the album so I can turn it off missing other tracks in the exchange.
11. Poor Cow This isn't the best song on the album, but it definitely doesn't deserve to be buried behind the track before it. I can't imagine that I would ever go to this sond directly, but if it came on shuffle, I probable would not turn it off, unless I was doing anything that required any energy.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of All Time Fav Albums
Dynamic. Different. Fresh new impossible not to head-bop shoulder-rock sound, delightful to the senses, yet you feel like you've known the music all along.
Published 2 months ago by lorepunzel
1.0 out of 5 stars
boring
The "bonus" of a "Bonus Track" should not be skipping it to go to the next song. I bought this for the hit with hopes for more good music, but it was clear that WRITERS BLOCK... Read more
Published on April 7, 2011 by Sarah D.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nothing better than PB&J!
This album has earned a spot on my shelf of favorite cd's. I cannot wait for their new CD to come out in march!! Counting down the days!! Read more
Published on February 4, 2011 by Kevin D. Corcoran Jr.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Very Spotty Album
Heard a lot of the songs off this album on Pandora, thought I'd go for the whole thing. After listening to it all the way through I think I could have bought a few of the songs and... Read more
Published on December 14, 2010 by wesruv
1.0 out of 5 stars
The Music Is Bad!
There is only one song on this entire CD that is worth listening to. There is one that all is, is this funky sounds. This was a poor purchase for me.
Published on May 6, 2010 by Cynthia Sheperd
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great folk rock
I never heard of Peter Bjorn and John before I bought this album, but I became a fan after I heard it. It's a little folk- but not enough to be annoying. Read more
Published on January 30, 2010 by Janet Brady
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well worth listening to.
I'll admit I looked at the album because of their song Young Folks, and in part because Amazon suggested it. So I gave it a listen, and it is solid enjoyable indie rock. Read more
Published on November 18, 2009 by Douglas D. Evans
4.0 out of 5 stars
as close as you can get to a pre emo sound
alternative almost emo light rock, hard to describe, but i like it and i usually hate this type of music. Read more
Published on October 30, 2009 by lydia_online
2.0 out of 5 stars
Basic Indie music
Peter, Bjorn and John cover no new ground with this album. That is not to say that it is not a bad CD, but the fact is there have been artists in the same territory before, and... Read more
Published on May 15, 2009 by B. Hoffman
5.0 out of 5 stars
A nice surprise
I grew up in the age of vinyl and cassettes. It was a time when you couldn't just download the one song ("Young Folks") from the album that you liked. Read more
Published on January 16, 2009 by Mark Koop
