Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's Blcok

I like them well enough, I'm not crazy about them though.

The lyrics on this album are often really painfully generic (to be fair, they're not singing or writing words in their native tongue), but there are so many incredibly rich melodies on this album. Still, it's quintessential indie, which means it's not going to be terribly ILM-friendly. Not as bad as the average Belle & Sebastian mimic; not as good as something similarly Nordic like Herman Dune, which is a bit more adventurous.

But "The Chills," "Paris 2004," "Amsterdam," "Up Against the Wall," "Young Folks," and "Let's Call it Off" are jam packed with hooks - the verses are as catchy as the choruses, which is one of the things I love about the New Pornographers. From a purely pop perspective, they are incredibly talented. Hearing the Concretes-singer verses on "Young Folks," you wonder how they would do writing songs for other people, too.

on the other hand that might just be me wanting everything to sound like mort garson

true.

I think you're off course calling them a Belle & Sebastian mimic... doubt the band even like B&S. The lyrics are simple, not generic -- "Objects of My Affection"!!!

And yeah I was totally wearing a white hood when I fell in love with this album. The fuck?

Because of the whistling? I love the production on the drums and bass.

I wasn't calling them a B&S mimic, per se - but the surface stuff (sensitive euro peeps) is significant enough; I've seen them mentioned side-by-side in several reviews.

http://gorillavsbear.blogspot.com/2007/01/young-folks-on-conan.html

- and I must admit it's pretty weak. I like the shtick alright, but I can't abide a PRE-RECORDED WHISTLE TRACK. And Concretes-lady is awfully shaky. Bongos Jackson back there is good, and I still love the muted bass, but I picture this song exploding with melancholic young love (tm), and this felt like it was first-song-without-being-drunk-yet karaoke or something.

Still, I love the album.

This is a great example of a song ruined by poor editing. If they would have shaved it down to 2.40 or 3.10 instead of 4+ minutes it would be perfect. They should have either cut the last minute or introduced another strong theme. I always turn it off after three minutes.

on the other hand that might just be me wanting everything to sound like mort garson

There are worse desires to be had...

http://www.aversion.com/bands/reviews.cfm?f_id=2957

The best part is when, after declaring the band worthless and making no mention of the fact there was a Writer's Block before Almost Gold, the author then pulls the ol' "their old stuff was better" shtick.

Since when the fuck are the Shins "immediate?"

18!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtQunmFhuNE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-rekmZcrsg

Might be my most extreme example of endless advertising use of a song ruining the entire album and band for me permanently. Loved this album when it came out - incredibly packed with hooks; reminded me of Herman Dune, who I loved. No desire to ever hear a note from them again. I'm sure they don't mind - they had to make a fortune licensing that tune.

Haven't (and may not ever) revisit the album, but I heard this song a few weeks ago and it's still a rush

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrCOmvHEns8

And the question is
was I more alive
then than I am now?
I happily have to disagree
I laugh more often now
I cry more often now
I am more me

It's perhaps sorta typical non-native English lyrics, but that might just make them speak even more to me. It's a great chorus.

"I laugh more often now
I cry more often now
I am more me"

damn, i remember seeing this quoted somewhere years ago and figured it was whitman or something. you're telling me this is a fuckin PB&J lyric?

Thought of 2011's Gimme Some as 60s Kinks in a motorik zone, approximately...good fun, anyway.