A bit different than a placeholder, the live EP
Röyksopp's Night Out provides a more kicking alternative to their bit-too-slick sophomore release,
The Understanding, while tying that album to their more adventurous debut.
The Understanding's "Only This Moment" sounds the same as it did in the studio at first, then branches out into something more busy, more exciting. "Go Away" has much more of a bite here, as does "Alpha Male," which builds and builds, becoming monolithic. Big surprises are the clubbed-up "Poor Leno," which feels much more
Understanding than
Melody A.M. now, and the brittle, exciting, '80s-flavored cover of
Queens of the Stone Age's "Go with the Flow." This isn't the place to start with
Röyksopp, but fans will dig the punch and fun to be had. ~ David Jeffries