Living Thing

Living Thing
Studio album by
Peter Bjorn and John
Released30 March 2009
GenreIndie pop
Length47:08
LabelsWichita (UK)
Startime (US)
Cooperative (GER)
Peter Bjorn and John chronology
Seaside Rock
(2008)		 Living Thing
(2009)		 Gimme Some
(2011)
Singles from Living Thing
  1. "Nothing To Worry About"
    Released: 2009
  2. "It Don't Move Me"
    Released: 2009
  3. "Lay It Down"
    Released: 2009

Living Thing is the fifth album by Peter Bjorn and John, released on 30 March 2009 in the UK and 31 March in the US. Much darker and more experimental than their previous album Writer's Block, Living Thing expands the sound of the group by taking more cues from hip-hop and electronic music, in particular the work of African electronic funk musician William Onyeabor. Other influences included Depeche Mode, Fleetwood Mac and OMD. Three singles were eventually released from the album: "Nothing To Worry About," 'It Don't Move Me," and "Lay It Down."

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllmusicStarStarStarStar
BlenderStarStarStarHalf star
Entertainment Weekly(B)
The GuardianStarStarStar
NME(5/10)
Pitchfork Media(5.5/10)
Rolling StoneStarStarStarStar
PopMatters(7/10)
SpinStarStarStarStar
Slant MagazineStarStarHalf star

Initial critical response to Living Thing was generally positive. At Metacritic, the album has received a score of 68 based on 31 reviews. However, some were unsatisfied with the apparent darker tone of the album as a follow-up to their previous success with Young Folks.

Track listing

  1. "The Feeling" – 3:08
  2. "It Don't Move Me" – 3:21
  3. "Just the Past" – 5:10
  4. "Nothing to Worry About" – 2:56
  5. "I'm Losing My Mind" – 3:44
  6. "Living Thing" – 4:38
  7. "I Want You!" – 3:39
  8. "Lay It Down" – 3:26
  9. "Stay This Way" – 4:19
  10. "Blue Period Picasso" – 4:36
  11. "4 Out of 5" – 4:08
  12. "Last Night" – 4:03

Charts

Chart performance
Chart (2009) Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan) 73
Dutch Alternative Albums (Alternative Top 30) 21
UK Albums (Official Charts)162
US Billboard 200 92
US Independent Albums (Billboard) 7
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) 23
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) 13

References

  1. ↑ Raper, Dan. "Peter Bjorn and John: Living Thing < PopMatters". Popmatters.com. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
  2. ↑ "Peter Bjorn And John - Clash Q&A". Clash. 18 March 2009. Archived from the original on 22 March 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "Allmusic review".
  4. ↑ "Blender review". Archived from the original on 2009-03-28. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  5. ↑ "Entertainment Weekly review". March 25, 2009. Archived from the original on March 27, 2009.
  6. ↑ Catchpole, Chris (March 15, 2009). "The Guardian review". London.
  7. ↑ "NME review". NME.
  8. ↑ "Pitchfork Media review". Pitchfork.
  9. ↑ "Rolling Stone review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 22, 2009.
  10. ↑ "PopMatters review".
  11. ↑ "Spin review".
  12. ↑ "Slant Magazine review". Slant Magazine. 2 October 2023.
  13. ↑ "Peter Bjorn And John:Living Thing (2009): Reviews". Metacritic. CNET Networks, Inc. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
  14. ↑ "Albums : Top 100". Jam!. 5 March 2009. Archived from the original on 14 April 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  15. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Peter Bjorn and John – Living Thing" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  16. ↑ "Chart Log UK: 11.04.2009". UK Albums Chart. Zobbel.de. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  17. ↑ "Peter Bjorn and John Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  18. ↑ "Peter Bjorn and John Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  19. ↑ "Peter Bjorn and John Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  20. ↑ "Peter Bjorn and John Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2026.