Peter Bjorn and John
Gimme some
Almost Gold/StarTime International
A year and a half back, I heard rumblings that the new Peter Bjorn and John record was going to be a return to basics -- guitar, bass and drums -- which, for longtime fans, would light them up with glee. Not that "Living thing" was at all a bad album, in fact it found itself duly entrenched in the expert song craft from the trio, but that it was an uncomfortable confrontation on the archetype that catapulted them into popular culture (one can still hear "Young folks" whistled on the streets a half-decade after its release). Whereas "Living thing" was that masterful shunning of settling for a comfortable musical career, "Gimme some" finds the next logical step of the band's discography -- making its tightest pop/rock album to date. All of the rhythms click, all the vocals punch, the bass growls and the guitars provide the texture. "Second chance" and "Eyes" drop a danceable beat while "I know you don't love me" repetitiously steadies the finale; "Lies", "(Don't let them) Cool off", "Breaker breaker" and "Black book" all glorify the various elements of post-punk that have since valorized the genre in music history. "Gimme some" finds Peter Bjorn and John ready to accept their place in popular culture while simultaneously building a catalogue of integrity and depth.
- Matt Giordano
