Peter Bjorn and John / Gimme Some

Peter, Bjorn & John
Gimme Some
(Cooking Vinyl)
* * **

As the power of the music blogosphere took hold in the mid-noughties, it became quickly apparent that one of its foremost benefactors were Peter, Bjorn And John, who won over the online public with the catchy hooks which permeated the likes of 'Young Folks' and 'Amsterdam'.

With sixth album 'Gimme Some', the Swedes have taken their hook-savvy approach and raised their songcraft to a whole new level, with a series of killer choruses and fuzz-soaked riffs.

Although opening track 'Tomorrow Has To Wait' gives an indication of the growling guitar parts which lie ahead, it's not necessarily a true indication of the punkfest which PB&J are set to serve up.

Thenceforth, they sound like they're channelling the energy of The Ramones with 'Lies', while 'Second Chance' is almost Kinks-like in its bounce. Later, the production values which line the intros of 'Breaker Breaker' and ‘Black Book’ might lead you to believe you've put on a Pere Ubu record.

That’s not to say that there’s a complete recycling job going on here. For all their reference points, the band have put their own stamp on ‘Gimme Some’, with their typically lo-fi moments of introspection and Peter Morén’s distinctive vocals still very much to the fore.