Review: a-ha - Foot of the Mountain

Yes, a-ha is still around. Once considered one-hit wonders for their ethereal 1985 'Take On Me', a-ha continued to record and churn out several albums that were released everywhere but North America. Unlike many artists, a-ha continued to make some quality pop music even after 25 years of recording. Their ninth(!) album, Foot of the Mountain, is more of a return to their popular 80s sound with a heavy synth influence that was probably made to grab more of the youth buyer. However, to my aged ears, this album is a little weaker than their previous output - lacking the guitar and emotional escape their last three albums had. The title track 'Foot of the Mountain' is still strong, but the other material is lacking in songwriting and song structure. Some other tracks worth checking out are 'Nothing Is Keeping You Here' and 'What There Is'. Morten Harket's voice is still amazing even though he can't quite hit the high notes like he did in his youth.  But hey, none of us are getting any younger. Check out the albums 'Analogue', 'Minor Earth Major Sky', and 'Lifelines' for some of their better output.

Note : This album cannot be purchased in the States - I ordered my copy from an Ebay seller in Britain.