After a long hiatus, Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp, return with their third release Junior. Teaming up with a variety of intriguing female vocalists, they have created an album of wonderful, immersive electro-pop. Whether you are an electronic music fan or a casual listener, this album offers up some great music.
The album begins with “Happy Up Here,” a wonderful, upbeat track that recalls the breezier portions of Röyksopp's debut, Melody A.M. combined with a little bit of the moodier elements of their last album, The Understanding. The result is light but also intoxicating. The song itself is as fleeting as the feelings it brings as it is less than three minutes long.
It is followed up by “The Girl And The Robot,” a decidedly darker track. Sweden's Robyn provides the vocals as she pines for her workaholic “robot” to be with her. This track pairs a pulsing beat with dark atmospherics such as strings and haunting background vocals to make it one of the album's highlights. It's a bit over-the-top but so enjoyable that you'll want to sing along with the chorus: “In the night I call you up and / Wanna know when you're coming home / Don't deny me / Call me back / I'm so alone.” Indie darling Lykke Li brings her unique vocals to “Miss It So Much,” a lovely little track. The music's bubbly synths and heavy bass pair up well with Li's understated performance.
Anneli Drecker, who previously worked with Röyksopp on their first album, appears on three tracks. “Vision One” is an excellent reworking of the bassline of Stevie Wonder's “Too High.” Drecker's vocals keeps things steady as the melody goes off into bleepier directions. However, her best vocal performance is on “You Don't Have A Clue,” a mellow treat with a dark undertone. The somewhat dreamy quality of her vocals is put to good use and her refrain of “You're hiding from yourself / Yes you are / Yes you are” resonates. The one misstep is “True To Life,” but that's not her fault. That song is a bit clunky compared to the rest of the album.
Article comments
1 - Josh Hathaway
Great work, Sterfish. It's good to see you around here.