AMG Review of Röyksopp's Night Out

David Jeffries
All Music Guide

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.