The Understanding
by Röyksopp
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 46 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 46
  3. Negative: 3 out of 46

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  1. Mobius
    Jul 29, 2005
    3
    This album just sounds like some real poor euro trash. this reson for this comment is that after listening to Melody A.M. which is a fantastic album full of unique tunes and every single track on it is just awsome, you would expect more of the same on there next album, Well NO this album is full of euro lyrics every track is one long bore. gone are those chill out tunes and gone are those This album just sounds like some real poor euro trash. this reson for this comment is that after listening to Melody A.M. which is a fantastic album full of unique tunes and every single track on it is just awsome, you would expect more of the same on there next album, Well NO this album is full of euro lyrics every track is one long bore. gone are those chill out tunes and gone are those happy rifts no more poor leno this album was a complete waist of money. I mean when you like a group u like them because of the style of music they do and after there melody a.m. album i thought this would be almost as good how wrong i was. on the plus side the CD does make a great coffie coaster… Expand
  2. NivB
    Aug 16, 2005
    3
    If you liked the amazing "Melody AM" - this album is not for you. Royksopp have clearly gone through a change between the debut album, and "The Understanding" fails to be as amazingly original as the first one. You won't get mind-numbingly gorgeous instrumental tracks here, and no original Yodel vocals in here. This is a bland electronic album, that fails to keep up with the "Melody If you liked the amazing "Melody AM" - this album is not for you. Royksopp have clearly gone through a change between the debut album, and "The Understanding" fails to be as amazingly original as the first one. You won't get mind-numbingly gorgeous instrumental tracks here, and no original Yodel vocals in here. This is a bland electronic album, that fails to keep up with the "Melody AM" greatness. Only few tracks, like "Someone Like You" and "Only This Moment", try and line-up with the first album, while the rest fall into weird boy-band rock. In "The Understanding", Royksopp cleary misunderstood what "Melody AM" lovers want...… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
68

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Dot Music
    50
    For the most part, "The Understanding" saunters along without a trace of urgency, which is unfortunate as Royksopp were always at their best when electronic ingenuity rather than pastel-shaded synth washes were holding things up.
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  2. Pitchfork
    81
    This is the one that puts them firmly and officially up there in the top tier of the dance-music crossover-album crowd, up with the Daft Punks and, umm, Basement Jaxxes.
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  3. AllMusic
    60
    Röyksopp have little left to say aside from what others have said more clearly in the past.
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