PETER BJORN AND JOHN Living Thing (2009 UK 12-track CD album - There was always going to be chatter as to how Peter Bjorn and John would follow up 'Writer's Block'. Would they try to replicate their earlier success? Or go out of their way to release a wilfully difficult new album? In actual fact, what they have done is a bit of both [and neither] all at the same time. Bolstered by the band's production, the first taster of the album, 'Lay It Down', which snuck out onto the blogosphere at the end of 2008, is a delightfully off-kilter riposte, a jaunty flying-V in the faces of people who thought they'd had the band all figured out, with a harsh, treated vocal before abruptly giving way to an anthemic, full-bodied singalong, the sort which will send the masses scurrying to any self-respecting dancefloor on a Saturday night. The rest of the album walks a similar tightrope of melody and mayhem. 'I Want You!' is quite possibly one of the loveliest things they have ever done. And then there's the album opener, 'The Feeling', with drums crashing in like waves on a beach, heavy distortion vibrating and shards of delicate beauty poking through the carefully controlled chaos. 'Just The Past' is a pumped-up, rough around the edges, would be disco gem, and 'I'm Losing My Mind' is by turns angular and heart-swelling. And if that wasn't enough, there's is the Kanye West-approved, official first single, 'Nothing to Worry About', a glorious rollercoaster ride of lolloping beats and children's choirs, and the furthest thing from 'Young Folks' you could possibly find.)