Writer's Block (LTD Edition with Bonus Disc)

Peter Bjorn and John

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 6, 2007)
• Original Release Date: February 6, 2007
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Almost Gold
• ASIN: B000MGTFD0
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,700 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #27 in	Music > Pop > Euro Pop > Swedish Pop
  #33 in	Music > World Music > Europe > Scandinavia > Sweden

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Writers Block

2. Objects Of My Affection

3. Young Folks

4. Amsterdam

5. Start To Melt

6. Up Against The Wall

7. Paris 2004

8. Let's Call It Off (Single Mix)

9. The Chills

10. Roll The Credits

See all 11 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Ancient Curse

2. All Those Expectations (Weak Remix)

3. Self-Pity In The Trashcan

4. Let's Call It Off (Original)

5. Young Folks (Sitar Version)

6. Young Folks (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Re-Animation)

Editorial Reviews

From Amazon.co.uk Review

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

US only edition includes a bonus disc of rarities! 2007.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good album that offers many different sounds., March 28, 2007

By	Peter Shermeta (Rochester, MI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars.... One of the best albums I've heard this year, March 3, 2007

By	Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Peter Bjorn & John hail from Sweden, and I will admit I had never heard of them, but internet-only radio station WOXY has their current single in rotation, and I really like that track and it made me check out the album. Best decision I've made in a while. If you're not familiar with PB&J's music, it's reminiscent of the 60s "simple" style of music. This is the band's second album.

"Writer's Block" (11 tracks, 46 min.) starts of with the title track, which is really a 30 sec. instrumental intro to the real opener of the album, "Objects of My Affection", which set the table for the album. It is followed by "Young Folks", the single that I heard on rotation on WOXY, and it's an irresistable whistle-along song, just great. Other highlights including the funny "Amsterdam" ("Baby went to Amsterdam/She put a little money into traveling"); the epic 7 min. "Up Against the Wail", with a fantastic and hypnotizing long instrumental outro, the best track on the album for me; the sweet and gentle "Paris 2004"; and "Let's Call It Off" (another obvious single), all of them just irresistable. The album goes one song too long with the unnecessary closer "Poor Cow", after the preceding song "Roll the Credits" had indeed just done that, and reason I can't rate the album 5 stars. The CD I got came with a bonus CD (6 tracks, 24 min.), which brings a mix of previously released songs and demos or remixes of the new songs. The highlights are "Ancient Curse" and "Self-Pity". I wasn't too keen on the sitar (!) instrumental and the remix versions of "Young Folks".

In all, I haven't stopped listening to this album since I got it a few weeks ago. It is without a doubt sure to end up on my list of best albums of the year (please note that this relates to the US release, the album was released last year in Europe). I will see Peter Bjorn & John in concert at Coachella at the end of April, and I can't wait to see how the songs of this album will translate in a live setting. "Writer's Block" is HIGHLY recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I hvae writer's block, May 22, 2007

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.