Album Description
European 2009 release from the Norwegian trio, their ninth studio album in an illustrious 25 year career. Opening with the galloping charge of ‘The Bandstand’, the album quickly defines itself with the keyboard intro before Morten’s instantly recognizable vocals announce their return. Melting into the Arcade Fire influenced ‘Riding The Crest’ which Paul describes as ‘Electro Blues’, the album flows into the melancholic ‘What There Is’ before thundering back into the s… More >>
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I should have known soon as Waaktaar said they were gaining “ideas” from Arcade Fire. Lame and bland and immediately forgettable. What a shame they had to rush something like this out, prior to this the only bland and lazy offering they had was Lifelines. And this is worse.
If you’re a new fan of A-ha’s don’t be put off by this mediocrity, be sure to check out all the great albums in their catalouge, my personal ranking:
1. Scoundrel Days
2. East of the Sun, West of the Moon
3. Hunting High and Low
4. Stay On These Roads
5. Minor Earth, Major Sky
6. Memorial Beach
6. Analouge
Two albums equally at No.6 for me. Lifelines has a couple of great songs but it mostly is poor.
Rating: 1 / 5
I’m still waiting for this band to find a producer that makes them perform to their potential. All you need to do is listen to Magne F’s “The Longest Night” and then the title track from this album to see how adept they are at sucking the passion out of their own music. This band has been more influential than a lot of people know to bands like Coldplay, Keane, and U2; but a-ha have yet to manage to put out a consistent, strong record since their debut. I liked this record, but I am a rabid fan. After listening to it, I know I’m not going to use this album in my argument to people unfamiliar with their work beyond “Take On Me” that they should listen to a-ha. Sadly, Morten does his best work to date on this album, but it gets lost in mid-tempo pop songs that easily blend into any background. This sounds like a better Morten Harket solo album than a solid outing from a band striving for arenas.
Rating: 4 / 5
Along with UK’s Pet Shop Boys, Norway’s a-Ha were one of my favourite eighties bands with their swirling synth Pop sound. They return to basics on “Foot of the mountain”, their 9th studio album, which sees a return to the lush electronics of their eighties albums “Hunting high and low” and “Scoundrel days”.
Though more sublime as a whole, songs like opening cut “The bandstand” jab and pulse in all the right places. Casio-like “Riding the quest” has a boppy beat that reminds me a wee bit of their huge hit “Take on me”, while my favourite is the incredibly beautiful stomping “What there is” with Morten Harket’s melancholic tenor really thrilling.
Lead-off single “Foot of the mountain” is pulsing Rock/Pop, while “Real meaning” is an ominous sounding ballad with bubbling synths and soothing vocals. The epic “Shadowside” is a truly awesome ballad with majestic strings, on par with songs like “Stay on these roads” or even “Hunting high and low”.
Each of the ten songs is really good; “Nothing is keeping you here” is dreamy Pop/Rock (reminds me of Keane), “Mother nature goes to Heaven” is an apocalyptic ode to mother earth with swirling foreboding synths, “Sunny mystery” is dreamy and melancholic, while closing is the experimental ballad “Start the simulator” (with a bridge with Beatles/ELO-style harmonies and lyrics that use technical jargon to make a love song).
It is great to see a-Ha finding space on the charts alongside obvious followers La Roux, Keane, Little Boots et all, the album debuted in the UK at #5, their first top 10 album there since 1988. It did take me a while to conclude, but it’s definitely one of their best albums!
Rating: 5 / 5
Laid hands on the album 2 days ago.Have been listening repeatedly since then. This album opens up with a powerful rich song”Bandstand” and carries you forward smoothly till you reach the title song which has the same opening lines of “Longest Night” sung by Magne Furuholmen in his solo album ” A Dot of Black in the Blue of your Bliss”. The songs are complimented by rich synth.that made A-ha famous more than 2 decades back.However, it is my personal opinion that Morten Harket’s voice is more suited to ballads that are more serious and melancholic in nature.His lower keys and upper octave is extremely clear which is very rare and that too in a typical pop music arena.A-ha’s focus should be more on creating songs that are clear and high on vocals with rich supporting music.The album under discussion is very rich in music, on a very positive note, lyrics by Pal Waaktaar are thought provoking and Morten as expected is at his usual best.It is a MUST buy if you are a die hard A-ha fan like me.If you would be hearing A-ha for first time, I suggest you try out with Letters from Egypt, Wild Seed by Morten Harket, Lifelines,Minor Earth/Major Sky,Analogue by A-ha and then graduate to this album.The true worth can be appreciated only then.Till then HAPPY LISTENING FOLKS.
Onkar Chattoraj,
Mumbai,India.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is a return to form from a-ha. Sounds like the 80s again, but very actual indeed.
Highly recommended.
Rating: 5 / 5