Peter Bjorn & John - Gimme Some, a review

For someone only previously acquainted with their hits "Young Folks" and "Nothing to Worry About", one would expect an album of theirs to be full of twee little tunes to whistle and tap your feet along to. Whilst the latter is still retained, it's a bit of a culture shock. Guitar riffs that would make the Strokes blush, vocals slightly reminiscent of Pete Doherty - this is an entirely new side to Peter Bjorn and John.

Dodgy choice of artwork aside, it kicks off with 'Tomorrow Has to Wait' - an anthem packed with energy and throwing off British Sea Power or Doves vibes, that kind of raw, almost primal sound. 'Dig A Little Deeper' could've blossomed as a hit in the 2003-2006 era of British indie, thriving off quickfire riffs and casually sneering vocals.

'Second Chance' was released as the first single merely weeks ago and appears to be something of a surprise hit - judging by the public reaction to their YouTube video. Adhering to the Christopher Walken theory of more cowbell, the track is a disjointed, cool and catchy little song.



'Eyes' steers the sound into an early Kings of Leon period, whilst 'Breaker Breaker' is somewhere between Bloc Party and The Libertines with rapid guitars and a killer chorus. 'May Seem Macabre' on the contrary thrusts a bassline The Smiths would've killed for - perhaps a little too long and indifferent to stick out.

'(Don't Let Them) Cool Off' is a dead ringer for R.E.M.'s "Radio Free Europe" with its take on new wave and punk guitar sequences. 'Black Book' is shortlived but arguably the most exciting track with frenetic guitars and relatively inaudible vocals.



'Down Like Me' is much more laidback, playing on distorted sounds and low-key vocals. 'Lies' boasts one of the album's most pop-poised choruses and retains its raw sound. The album finishes with 'I Know You Don't Love Me', an interesting and subtler approach - full of moody atmosphere, a real slow burner.

So it's a bit of a surprise find. I downloaded the album in hope of a few fun tunes to brighten up a very Rihanna/Ke$ha saturated pop market, but in its place I found an album full of exciting sounds, energetic delivery and raw intensity that most of your more obvious indie choices would love to still retain. The only fault I could possibly find with the album is a lack of variety - there're no ballads, no pop songs, no psychedelics - but as a rock fan it's certainly more than satisfactory for me.

Rating: 7.5/10
Highlights: Breaker Breaker, I Know You Don't Love Me, Second Chance, Black Book, Tomorrow Has to Wait
Avoid: Down Like Me