Röyksopp
Senior

Expected - I won't hide it - with a certain anticipation because on paper it was supposed to be the twin album of the well-regarded "Junior", I must admit that this "Senior" is disappointing me. Beyond the fact that I digest albums over time and evaluate them later, it's undeniable that the immediate impact of this new work by Royksopp was neither exciting nor particularly striking. Unlike the previous "The Understanding" and "Junior", indeed.

Elected to be the standard-bearers of a synthpop evolution that actually does not exist, the two blond Scandinavians opted for a revival of very vintage sounds and rhythmic patterns that on one hand could offer moments of consecration for the genre most representative of the '80s, yet on the other, it sank by merely revisiting modules already archived. The operation was somewhat successful with "Junior", which decisively reinterpreted the history of electronic pop starting with Moroder, passing through the various Yazoo and Depeche Mode, then arriving at the current digitized downtempo that has brought success to many bands. But where "Junior" entertained and fascinated with a series of lyrical contaminations of admirable craftsmanship (remember "The girl and the robot," "Vision One," "True to life"), today "Senior" merely strings together a series of monotonous and repetitive - as well as long - instrumental excursions based on sequencers, white noise, and drum machines closer to the Bontempi organ than to the Roland 808.

The richness of the arrangements has been lost along the way, as have the female voices that enriched some beautiful songs. The desire to experiment has been lost, even if in a retrospective key, and if anything, there is a discordant choice to satisfy dancefloor enthusiasts by bombarding them with snapping analog basses and thin four-note melodies, leaving to fans of the ironic Royksopp-Style only the melancholic collage of "Senior Living" and the embarrassing ballad "Forsaken Cowboy", which strums a western guitar in synthetic sauce.

The conceptual link with "Junior" sought in the album's very title and the unnecessary reprise of "Tricky Two" is pointless. The Royksopp seem to have chosen to live off old glories without success, incapable of exploiting technology to create interesting sounds and use them to compose at least catchy songs. Certainly, it's not easy to say something new when boarding the living room crossover wagon: starting with the most celebrated Air, it quickly became apparent that the mix of electronic, lounge, minimalism, and dance that has been so popular over the last decade will have no future if form flirtations are not married with solid contents.

It's a pity, though. I was gladly betting on Royksopp. For now, "Senior" marks a halt.