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With the music scene (and especially the singles chart) swamped with so much dance and drum n' bass fare, here's a refreshing change - a simple pop record, no more. Lifelines is A-Ha's follow-up to their 2000 comeback album Minor Earth Major Sky, and is very much a more uplifting listen than its moodier predecessor - there are even times you can barely believe it's the same band. Stand-out tracks are the chug-a-long 'Did Anyone Approach You' (shades of 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover drumming, guys!), the ELO-drenched 'Oranges On Appletrees' and the sheer power of 'Cannot Hide', which played loud showcases Morten Harket's strong though often underrated voice. Yet these uptempo songs sit perfectly alongside the ballads; the dreamy title track (what an inspired choice of single that was), and both the swaying 'Time And Again' and the gorgeous duet 'Turn The Lights Down' - believe me you'll want to for a couple of slowies as good as any that A-Ha did in their golden days.
If you're a child of the 80s who used to tell everyone that you hated A-Ha, this glorious summer pop album might just make you revise your opinions.
Andrew Deane |
