Röyksopp - The Understanding

I'd heard of Röyksopp for several years, but I hadn't really listened to them as anything more than random songs at clubs and in the background at parties. When The Understanding came up for review, I thought this would be my chance to check into it a little more. I am glad I did. The Norwegan due of Torbjörn Brundtland and Svein Berge burst onto the electronic scene with Melody A.M. in 2001 and haven't slowed down since in terms of acclaim. While most of the record is spot-on goodness, I find the "boy-band" sound of "49 Percent" slightly more than disturbing. Perhaps I could beg Röyksopp to not go there again? Hmm? But like I said, the majority of the record is a pleasure. Steady beats of "Sombre detune" are at once energizing and calming. The uplifting "Only this moment" will have you bopping along to its sugary sweet female vocals, courtesy of new vocalist Kate Havnevik. "Dead to the World" has a Brian Eno quality that sounds like a deep, soothing breath and is an absolute delight to the senses, while album closer "Tistesse globale" is like a modern, abbreviated "Für Elise." My favorite track is "Someone like me," an even-tempo'd torch song with breathy male vocals and light keyboards. Most of the music is light enough for a novice electronica fan to wrap their tastes around while there is enough meat on songs like "Alpha Male" to make serious fans of the genre happy. From perky, dancy-prancy to soothing and rhythmic, Röyksopp's The Understanding, while perhaps a little light when standing up against their first outing, is a worthy and tasty release when taken on its own that can be enjoyed almost anywhere and at almost anytime. [www.royksopp.com]