Sweet Confusion, You'll Be My Only Child

Writer's Block by Peter, Bjorn and John

Insound

I'll be honest here, you probably won't find Writer's Block on any Top Albums of the Noughties of any established, respected, or professional music lists that were compiled at the tail end of last year. This was a purely selfish add-on made by yours truly, because in the end I just felt like putting a thoroughly enjoyable album on my list. It's the least I get for attempting to listen to Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. (You may hush your boos because no one cares.)

I imagine that today, Peter Bjorn and John must regard "Young Folks" as the song with the whistle they simply cannot escape; in their desire to record songs that would be instant pop classics, they may very well have spawned the pop song from hell, something that was so catchy that the rest of the album (and possibly the rest of their careers) was overshadowed. After the umpteenth time I heard "Young Folks" playing on the intercom of JCPenney, I had basically vowed to swear off Peter Bjorn and John. And yet Writer's Block continued to exist in some far corner of my music library, waiting for me to listen to it. So when I finally did, I almost felt punished by how good it was. The fact that I waited three years before ever hearing "The Chills" or "Up Against the Wall" seemed like a crime.

But let's not wax hyperbolic; the most enjoyable aspect of Writer's Block is mainly the fact that it is one of those few albums that sing about love and pull it off. They manage to capture not only the excitement of new romance, but craft songs of the slow downfall of a relationship with just as much care. (If I may gravitate towards the unhappier side of the album, favoring "Let's Call It Off", "Amsterdam", "The Chills" and "Up Against the Wall", it may simply be because moodier songs are naturally precipitous and more enjoyable for me). 

Ultimately, Writer's Block is one of the most enjoyable pop albums you may hear, without eventually grating your nerves. What makes it a classic is its flexibility, as it almost seems to offer no end to soundtracking the various facets of love.

Up Against The Wall

Sadly, last night I was betrayed. I dreamt about one horrible 80s pop song music video after the other, and ended on Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up". That's right. I got Rick Roll'd by my own brain.


I mentioned yesterday my secret project of going through every album that has been deemed worthy of listening to by review sites and various respectable blogs. You could call it a year spent in musical hermitage, I suppose, in which I spend 365 days listening to a list totaling 250 albums released in the last decade. I decided to exclude hip hop albums and hardcore rock, simply because those are two genres I will never understand. Nothing against either genre -- I simply think it would be a waste of time for everyone involved if I tried to wrap my head around a genre that I simply cannot comprehend. The music project won't actually start until after January 3rd, giving me some time to get prepared for everything. I chose to limit my list to only 250 albums (which technically means I will have about 115 days of slacking off), because realistically an album can't be totally understood in a single day, even if you think your first impression is right. Also, I do happen to have a life, despite what this blog and my last.fm account tell you.


And yes, the results of it all will be here. Perhaps this is a bit The Julie/Julia Project-esque, but I hope that it isn't exactly like that. Though it would be cool to have a following of readers, I don't think that the music culture lends itself to such a personal and supporting culture as do foodies. Maybe I'm wrong (I hope I'm wrong!).


As for music, today's choice has to be Peter Bjorn and John's 2006 album Writer's Block. I don't think I'm the only person here that does this, but I tend to hate most of the albums I listen to, and rarely do I like something right away (unless I hear about them from a very reliable source). When I actually heard Writer's Block the very first time, I hated it. It's been three years, and I finally decided to go back and listen to it. Songs like "Amsterdam" and "Young Folks" are obviously fun to listen to, but two songs that personally stood out were "The Chills" and particularly "Up Against the Wall". I have to say that I'm now completely reformed.


And because I'm nice, I'll throw in "Let's Call It Off (Girls Talk remix)".