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 Thingexpands 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. 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
Allmusic
Blender
Entertainment Weekly(B)
The Guardian
NME(5/10)
Pitchfork Media(5.5/10)
Rolling Stone
PopMatters(7/10)
Spin
Slant Magazine

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 (OCC)162
US Billboard 20092
US Independent Albums (Billboard)7
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)23
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)13