Track Listing

1. Writer's Block
2. Objects Of My Affection
3. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn & John/Victoria Bergsman
4. Amsterdam
5. Start To Melt
6. Up Against The Wall
7. Paris 2004
8. Let's Call It Off
9. Chills
10. Roll The Credits
11. Poor Cow

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32042 in Music
• Released on: 2006-08-14
• Number of discs: 1

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

CD Description
'Writers Block' is the third album from Swedish trio Peter,Bjorn and John. Recorded in Bjorn's studio in Hornstull, Stockholm the album sees the trio take a new direction by moving away from the straight-forward indie-pop of their previous releases, this time opting for a more varied sound encompassing many genres including indie, pop, R&B, funk and soul. The single 'Young Folks' is also included.

Customer Reviews

Yet more sublime Swedish pop
Sweden's comma-phobic Peter Bjorn And John will probably be familiar to you as the makers of 'Young Folks', which will no doubt have soundtracked your summer in some way. You may even have a 'Young Folks moment', when this fantastic song first entered your world (mine is hearing it blasting out of a car as I stumbled into the Dour Festival). Recently awarded five gleaming stars on this site thanks to its obscene levels of cool and catchiness, like many massive debut hits it renders the album automatically disappointing. But even if nothing can hit that track's whistle-assited levels of joy, 'Writer's Block' can certainly not be accused of flogging its winning formula. It is, thankfully, an eclectic showcase of their pop knack in a number of guises rather than ten more songs to flesh out their signature track.

Their first album for new label Wichita, there are more than enough finely-crafted gems to keep Peter Bjorn And John on the radar for a while yet. They are already masters of indie-pop, adding shoegazy walls of noise to 'Objects Of My Affection' and writing lovelorn beauties like 'Paris 2004' ("I'm all about you/You're all about me/We're all about each other"), the kind of song so sweet and laid-back it's almost depressing to listen to at any time other than Summer. The balance is almost perfect in places, like 'Start To Melt''s girl-group lyrics and Spector-esque wall of sound, or 'Up Against The Wall''s gentle but emotive build-up into epic status. They've also developed a couple of trademarks, with a number of tracks featuring whistling tucked away amongst the noise (rather than centre stage), and Peter's achingly cool vocals, complete with elongated vowels, are pleasingly distinctive.

You've got to commend them for their craftmanship: this album is tailor-made to be instantly likeable (of course, anyone who buys it will have instantly been enchanted by 'Young Folks') but also, thanks to some surprisngly excellent lyrics and eclectic charm, ensure it'll sneak under your skin once you're past the stage of appreciating its overhwelming niceness. Where the similarly sunny Magic Numbers' lack of depth meant we all got bored of them after a couple of months, 'Writer's Block' will continue to surprise, ensuring it a place on a fair amount of Best Of 2006 lists. And when you finally manage get the unbearable catchiness of 'Young Folks' out of your head, you can enjoy a whole new set of tunes to fall in love with.

Excellent Album
I purchased this on a whim, only on the basis of hearing one song, the price of the album was not bad on Amazon. And I had one of those moments that you stick the cd in and the album and songs absorb you instantly, well crafted tunes and lyrics but at the same time quite different. The songs Objects of my affection & the young folks immediately stand out and so then you get sucked into the the rest of the album. This album may be a slow burner to some but wouldn't surprise me if it gains momentum in the future I hope so as the cd is great.

I have writers' block
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 enjoyable.

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.