“Melody Maker” sounds like the computer program that Daft Punk forgot to consult on their way to making their latest album. It’s also the name of a song that beats them at their own game. Ineffable as it might be, the song’s riff is just much more catchy (and more expertly tooled around with) over its five-minute length, so that the song avoids the pitfalls that befell DP. “Paroli” and “Striking Ejaculation” despite their promising nature (due to predecessor and song titles) fall far short of expectations. The former is far better than the latter, but both go light on the riffage, instead focusing on drumcraft.

Codek / CRE006
[Todd Burns]