Junior [VINYL]

It's one thing to produce an enjoyable album ,one that is in thrall to the closet( or with some not so closet) hedonist in us all. Music that propels us onto the dance floor even though normally we would be hugging the walls grinning sheepishly at those shaking their collective booties. It's quite another thing to do this but also produce an album with real emotional impact ,an album that connects with the heart as well as the hips and feet. I believe though, with Junior, that's exactly what Royksopp have done.
The funky breaks, cooed vocals and perambulating keyboards on opener "Happy Up Here" shows a irreverent playful side but it's with "The Girl And The Robot " ( with guest vocalist Robyn) that the album really takes off. As well as being a terrific pop tune the cleverly nuanced sequenced vocals give the song an emotional anchor makes it more than a lightweight and sugary confection. "Vision One" offers a lugubrious vocal and misshapen electronic glitches.
Karin Dreijer-Andersson of The Knife and Fever Ray delivers her unique husky rapacious tones on "Tricky Tricky "and the quite brilliant "This Must Be It" which is an electronic act of pop subversion to rival R.E.M,s stellar moment "Fall On Me" off Life's Rich Pageant (Remastered). "Royksopp Forever " suddenly set frees a widescreen cinematic beauty until Lykke Li accompanies "Miss It So Much" which is essentially cheesy Euro -disco but it,s extremely good cheesy Euro -disco.
The album loses momentum with the glossy but airy "You Don't Have A Clue" and the serious plodding "Silver Cruiser" which would have been better named Silver Chugger".Both tracks do have nice vocal effects though and it's this connection to the corporeal which makes Junior more than just an pleasurable dance album ,not that there is anything wrong with that.
The traditional plinking piano notes and fat rotating percussive beats of "It's What I Want" round the album off to hands in the air effect. The reviewer who points out that this is an album for hair salons may have a point ( though as I'm as bald as Yul Bryner I'm never likely to find out for sure) but so what? I'd rather listen to music as glossily adventurous and pliable as this than some morose crud like Coldplay or Razorlight any minute of any day .It's mostly great fun. It cheers me up no end. Squelchy fat pop songs with heart. Royksopp forever as far as I'm concerned.

By the looks of the reviews here we seem to be going down the well travelled Air and Daft Punk line of... Oh it isn't as good as the first album, I'm very disappointed... and... They've sold out, this is all very mainstream. Well, that's music, typecast by a stunning debut album and it's all downhill from there, nothing the artist does after that will ever be enough. Lets just concentrate on this album shall we and remember music is all subjective.

First of all, if you are thinking of buying, grab a listen to the track 8 - 'You Don't Have A Clue' which is one of the best tracks I have heard in a very long time and this raises this from an average 3 stars to 4. 'Happy up here' will no doubt get played to death on the radio, but I don't listen to the radio much so that's not a problem for me anyway, I'm sure for others it will reduce some 'cred' for the Royksopp, it's catchy, upbeat and mainstream but I like it. The rest of the tracks I would say are pretty average, but then Melody AM had some average tracks on it too, there....... I said it.

So, in echo of other reviews the third installment is not like the first album, but why would it be ? - that would be boring and repetative ?? However what is offered is a somewhere inbetween - it's not melody AM and not the Understanding but it's sort of both but different. Personally i admire the evolution of Royksopp, i also look forward to the rumoured Senior release later in the year. If you are non blinkered enough to have bought both the previous offerings, and you are willing to embrace evolution in music then you will no doubt find this to your liking. If you are looking for another melody am this is not it. ITS THE NEW ALBUM !!!!!! BUY IT