Junior

A funny obsession I have every year is a search for the perfect "summer" cd: a cd that I can play at full blast with the car windows down, that just makes me feel alive and in a good mood. Because we cannot control when cds are released, there never seems to be a perfect coordination between a great "summer" cd and a release date around summertime. Although it is a little early for summer, and with the Pet Shop Boys cd not released here yet (humph!), I think we have a good candidate for said cd.

Junior is the third release from Norwegian electronica act Royksopp. Their first cd Melody A.M. was a bubbly rush of percolating percussion, squelchy bass lines, and twinkly synths. It was the perfect remedy for a cold day. For their follow up, The Understanding, Royksopp got a case of the George Michaels and decided they wanted to be taken "seriously" and upped the goth and gloom. It was such a startling departure from their signature sound that it created a collective "huh?" from their fans. The cd itself wasn't horrible, but it just lacked the spark that made Melody A.M. such a wonderful surprise.

Royksopp returns to form with Junior. It takes the frothiness of the first cd and pairs it with the more striking musicality of the follow up and strikes the right balance this time. Again, Royksopp is flawless in their choice of collaborators. Using Karin Dreijer Andersson of The Knife/Fever Ray, Robyn, Lykke Li, and frequent chanteuse Anneli Drecker of Bel Canto. Robyn hits the ball out of the park with her song "The Girl and The Robot." Under a driving Moroder-esque beat, Robyn sings about her lover who is just going through the motions, leaving her cold and alone. When the chorus hits, you are completely under her spell. Karin Dreijer Andersson brings her odd vocal inflections and studio effects to two brilliant songs, the dance floor barn burner "This Must Be It," and the goth pop electro of "Tricky Tricky." Lykke lends her fragile voice to the haunting "Miss It So Much," and Ms. Drecker coos over three tracks, the highlight being "You Don't Have A Clue," her voice climbing higher and higher into the stratosphere.

Of course, Royksopp show they are just as interesting without their collaborators. First single "Happy Up Here" is a bouncy, bold song with a killer melody and a toe-tapping beat. The video is pretty amazing as well, set in Tokyo with a real life Space Invaders theme. And they also show they are more than Air/Daft Punk/M83 imitators with several instrumental tracks that equal if not surpass their colleagues, reaching a high point with "Royksopp Forever," which travels from a somber string and down tempo percussive beginning to a startling key change sending the song swirling in a orchestral frenzy.

It is rare that a cd grabs me from the beginning and can keep my attention over a long period of time. Royksopp have returned to their roots as a fun, musically adventurous act who understands their strengths and plays to them. I look forward to a nice, long, hot summer with the windows down with this music pounding out of my speakers.