PETER, BJORN AND JOHN – LIVING THING

PETER, BJORN AND JOHN – LIVING THING

These lovable Swedes deliver another rousing collection of songs. But first things first, let’s clear the air – there is nothing as obviously catchy as Young Folks on this album. Taken on its own terms, Living Thing is by turns very dark, paranoiac even, experimental, but occasionally as bubbly and sweet as shoe-gaze allows. I Want You! and Living Thing are positive affirmations, indie-pop and Paul Simon-esque respectively, stranded in a sea of no-wave post-pop. The most apt descriptor that comes to mind: 808s & Heartbreak, upfront vocals, 80’s reverbs and delays, phat R’n’B beats, repetition (don’t worry, there’s no auto-tune). Nothing to Worry About pushes this line hard, with children’s choir and lilting group-sing for chorus. Similarly, opener The Feeling jilts chunkily. Lay It Down is a four-on-the-floor club angst anthem, with visceral refrain a la Lily Allen: “Hey / Shut the f**k up boy / You are starting to piss me off / Take your hands off that girl / You have already had enough”. The remainder of the album is stranger but similar: ballads in the key of sex and modern guilt. Living Thing is a solid, exciting album, a reminder that there was always talent behind that one song.

***1/2

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