Pitchfork

As one third of Peter Bjorn & John, Peter Morén creates snappy tunes that draw playfully from 1960s pop influences. As a solo artist, he's much more somber, strumming an acoustic guitar and drawing playfully from 60s folk influences. If the three meandering demos posted to his MySpace are any indication, his upcoming solo debut, The Last Tycoon, will be a fairly dramatic departure that returns him to his folky beginnings playing pizzerias in his small Swedish hometown. Of the three new tracks, "Le Petit Coeur" (which translates to "The Little Heart") is arguably the best, not to mention the most concise. Morén sings the verses in his lower register, creating a slightly menacing mood as he describes figures stalking through the night. On the chorus, he switches to French to deliver a pendulum hook that would be super-catchy sped up. As is, it's a plaintive melody that needs nothing more than Morén's voice and guitar to put it across.

Stream:> Peter Morén: "Le Petit Coeur"