Peter Bjorn & John’s fifth studio album Living Thing is due for release in about a week. I’ve had the album for a while now but every time I sit down to check it out I end up listening to Writer’s Block, the third studio album released by the Stockholm trio in 2006 and by far my personal favorite. Hence the Young Folks post on Friday. Anyways, I finally got around to checking it out and to be honest, I’m not a big fan. Perhaps the most notable change in this album is the heavy drum programming and minimalistic production, which at first listen sounds appealing but ends up just lacking the decorative nature and lo-fi ambience we’ve come to expect from PB & J.

The obvious standouts in the album are the first single Nothing to Worry About & Lay It Down. Maybe the whole 80′s sound is losing its edge but overall the album just lacks the eclecticism, feeling and grit we to love from PB & J. So, for the sake of preserving the good ol’ PB & J name I’m going to make the musical feature of this post Let’s Call It Off, one of my favorite songs from Writer’s Block. I’ve included the original song and a great cover by Canadian actor, rapper, singer Drake. And just for kicks here’s Lay It Down from the new album as well.

Peter Bjorn & John – Let’s Call It Off

Peter Bjorn & John – Lay It Down

Peter Bjorn & John – Let’s Call It Off (Drake Cover)