Peter Morén
It's the peanut's time to shine
When I heard that Peter Bjorn and John’s Peter Morén was setting up a solo project, my first thought was how the “P” would fare without the “B & J.” I was trying to think up some clever relation to “peanut butter and jelly,” because, the initials of the band’s name are a reference to the famous lunchtime favourite. You know, something REAL clever, to the effect of whether a peanut can be as delicious by itself when we’re used to enjoying it shmulted into butter and accompanied by fruit jelly. Clever.
Then it hit me: I’m allergic to peanuts. Quite allergic to peanuts. I’ve never had a peanut in my mouth. I’m very much a peanut virgin. Don’t even remotely know what they taste like. I suddenly felt most unqualified to begin equating Peter Morén’s effort to anything remotely nutty.
But I will say this: From Social Competence’s initial intimate declarations to its final, all-out, full band flourish, Peter Morén can write a song like few people can. Everlastingly plagued (it would seem) with women problems, Morén starts off with a handclappy, acoustic, albeit ironically upbeat elocution of his condition, but fails to remain properly introspective, as the confessional turns into an effervescent and assertive affirmation, complete with vivacious harmonica squelches and lively jam-like spontaneity, as if Morén’s uncertain first-verse self was breaking out from his shell.
His peanut shell.
MP3: Peter Morén - Social Competence
www.peterbjornandjohn.com
myspace.com/petermorn
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