Royksopp's debut offering of Melody AM was such a tremendous record for specific ears that one could bypass the normal hoops of friendship with fellow fans ("Oh, you listen to Royksopp? Then let me buy you a drink."). I remember having had the worst day at my job one day but then finding myself without a care because "Eple" had just came across the internet radio. And when the duo from Norway started putting out equally moving remixes of other artists' work such as Mekon/Marc Almond's "Please Stay," it seemed this group could produce nothing short of brilliance. All of which would demand tremendously high expectations for the next record.
Which brings us to The Understanding - twelve tracks of varied styles from house tracks to trippy prog pop anthems to piano sonatas put to big beats, with stylistic nods to everyone from Kraftwerk (Sombre Detune), Sigur Ros (Dead to the World) to Prince (49 Percent). Most of the album's tracks are breathy male vocal numbers with instrumental numbers sprinkled throughout, the most interesting track being "What else is there?" showcasing the thick Scandinavian vocals of Karin Dreijer.
Sonically, The Understanding is a great-sounding record with original, intriguing noises and synths and perfect for background lounge ambiance. But compared again to the brilliant futurist pop of Melody AM, this one is a little disappointing. The tracks build and build but never deliver the hoped-for hooks and melodies that packed AM. The one exception is "Someone like me," which is full of the album's predominant formula, yet the beautifully intense harmonies blossom into something sounding not far from if Zero 7 did a house track. If there was an iTunes song on the record, this is the one.
