Norwegian dance boffins Royskopp became unexpected stars back in 2001 when their debut album Melody AM became an international bestseller. Now that the vogue for chillout music is well and truly over, however, it seems unlikely that this leisurely follow-up will have the same impact. The Understanding is languid, elegant and impeccably cool, but there's not all that much here to grab the attention. Burbling syths rub shoulders with funky rhythms, backed by murmuring vocals that rarely deliver anything except enigmatic cliches. There are certainly some beatifully lush melodies here, but overall this is gossamer-thin stuff that ends up leaving little or no emotional impact. As the soundtrack to a hip dinner party, it's absolutely perfect. As an album you'd want to listen to over and over again, it comes up short.

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