Peter Morén
The Last Tycoon
Quarterstick
By Mike Randall
Anyone who has drawn back their lips and tongue to forge a whistle in the last year-and-a-half has likely reproduced some of Peter Morén’s music. Likewise, anyone who has written about Peter Morén during that same time period has presumably incorporated at least some reference to the aforementioned whistle (no exception here). For those confused, Peter Morén is Peter from Peter, Bjorn and John, the Swedish indie pop-rock band responsible for arguably the most infectious single of 2007, “Young Folks.” While those seeking a “Young Folks Part II” from his first solo disc, The Last Tycoon, need not apply, from a melodic and songcraft standpoint, it will still be right up your alley.
The Last Tycoon is the Beck equivalent of Mutations to Midnite Vultures, Sea Change to Guero, only not as somber. Morén strums laid back acoustic compositions (labeling them as simple folk songs would undermine Moren’s technical prowess) that maintain much of the pop structure of P, B and J’s Writer’s Block, only far less produced, less upbeat and much more poetic. Whereas lyrics at times seem secondary in P, B and J, Morén is at his most introspective here, weaving together tales of observation, search and discovery in love and life.
Although this is Morén’s finest writing, it’s not his verbiage that takes center stage, it’s his arrangements and what he does with them. The classical and pop influences from P, B and J remain, but he’s shed the new wave for a feel that will be equally welcome by fans of jazz, folk, blues or pop. His voice and guitar are at the forefront, but tucked along side him are an assembly of other instruments – piano, harmonica, vibes, percussion, violin – yet, every song feels totally stripped down and intimate. Morén has a knack for placement, whether it’s the subtle orchestration of “Missing Link,” the sprinkles of piano on “Old Love,” the buried-in-the-grooves harmonica of “Tell Me In Time” or the irresistible hand claps during “This Is Where I Came From,” he finds small ways to enhance his songs that lesser musicians would likely abuse.
Subtleties aside, Morén’s guitar work is stunning. His finger-picking during “Reel to Real” and “Missing Link” conjure images more jazz than folk, while the sparsely magnificent, “This Is Where I Came From,” comes across like a mini version of Wilco’s “Muzzle of Bees.” Even the album-closing “I Don’t Gaze At the Sky For Long” shows a strong Beatles influence that nods towards McCartney, while Morén is just as impressive on piano, too, evident by the slow-building ballad, “Twisted,” which would feel right at home on The National’s Boxer.
With Morén, as with Beck, we have a gifted songwriter whose craft can seemingly be applied to just about any medium yet you’ll always know who’s behind the microphone. The Last Tycoon began and was recorded before Writer’s Block came out, so any thought of a P, B and J breakup is misguided. Morén is simply an artist with so much talent, boxing him in to just one style would be a shame. Besides, for Morén, it would take a pretty big box.
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