True North

A-ha just continues to amaze. After 7 years is was certainly worth the wait. The song "You Got What It Takes" just grips my soul. How fortunate as fans that we still get to elegantly taste this fine wine in the year of 2022.

A-ha deserves so much more recognition for their amazing songs and talent. The younger generation is listening to them too. The lyrics, the band and lead singer Morten Harket are the greatest. Morten has the ability to change his vocal skills to sing everything from rock to soft romantic ballads and everything in between. It's too bad DJ's in America, through the years only chose to play music by "artists" acting and singing about dirty stuff. I choose to listen to real talent. Harket is in Guinness book as well, for longest chest note ever held, live in concert no doubt, for "Summer Moved On". It was 23 seconds long and I timed it. It brought him to his knees in the video, causing fans in the audience to shed tears from sheer goosebumps. It's absolutely chilling to watch! Wish I'd been there too! There will never be a voice like this again, capable of reaching 5-6 octaves (I forget) :) The widespread, three year long "rumor" that has encircled fans since 2019's lengthy anniversary tour and longing for a new record is over! This coming of age album is stunningly peaceful and romantic. Envision sharing a warm crème brûlée with your love, in a sleepy little snowed in seaside cottage, below the magnificent Fjords of their Native Norway. This album is a message of positivity and prime for the ways of the world right now. It focuses on self esteem, loving oneself and world climate change awareness, as the band is fighting for that and we all should be too! I am. What a message! True North is a fairytale style love story with the planet and a message for the youth of today. Applauds loudly! Such a gem this is. Thank you, for again, gifting us your talents and recording from a studio high above the Arctic circle! I feel warmth and gratitude! With you from the start and for always!

Seven years is a long time to wait for a new album from one of my favorite bands, but "True North" is finally here, and it (mostly) does not disappoint. Ten tracks here are either good or great; only two really miss the mark. A few specifics: "I'm In," the first single (released earlier), starts the collection in high form; it's classic A-ha and, for me, it's one of the top 5 songs on the album. (Was disappointed the band didn't perform it when I saw them live for the first time at the Hollywood Bowl a couple months back.) As good as the song is, though, "I'm In" is not this album's best moment. That comes with tracks 4 and 5. "True North," the latter of the two, is my favorite song in this collection and one of A-ha's best songs in many years. "Between the Halo and the Horn" is just about as amazing, and together the two songs make for a very satisfying high point. Bravo to Magne Furuholmen, who wrote both songs (as well as "I'm In" and another top tune here, "You Have What It Takes"). The songs that I like a lot, just not as much as the aforementioned tunes, include "Blueist of Blue," "Summer Rain," "Forest for the Trees" and "Bumblebee." Repeated listens could (and probably will) help me appreciate those four tracks more. I guess I'm more a fan of Magne's songwriting than Paul's, at least on this album, as Paul wrote only one of my five favorites here -- "As If," which is a fantastic tune that just keeps getting better as it soars toward its conclusion. Paul also wrote the album's only two clunkers: "Hunter in the Hills" (what were they thinking? I'll be hitting the skip button on that one) and the closing track, "Oh My Word." A-ha often ends their albums with a weird Paul-written song, and they do not depart from that formula here. In conclusion, I'm very happy with 10 out of 12 tracks on "True North," most notably the title song. Combined with Tears for Fears' "The Tipping Point," I'm very lucky to have had two great new albums come out this year from two treasured bands. "True North" is a worthy addition to A-ha's stellar catalog.

Oh em gee what a beautiful album! Where have you been all my life, A-ha? I lost track of these guys after the 80s, so is this what I've been missing? Their sound on this latest offering ranges from 80s synth/dreampop to something they might have penned with the help of Sir Paul or the Beatles (Bluest of Blue). The keyboardist may have channeled a little Manzanarek on a track near the end, where the drums get pretty Doorsy and Morten even sounds a little like Jim (Summer Rain). The orchestral music is layered, complex and never too repetitive, and borrows from a wide range of genres and time periods (they go gloriously Burt Bacharach on the final track "Oh My Word"). The title track (True North) is one of the real standouts, and hearkens back to their 80s days (as does "Make Me Understand," with its boppy synth chorus)...but as my title suggests, there's not a weak song on the entire album. Another absolute gem is the gorgeous "You Have What it Takes," which I recommend to anyone going through a difficult time...but be warned that you may wind up bawling your eyes out. It's been a while since just listening to a song made me cry. Bravo, A-ha.

This is grown up A-ha. Great set of songs with awesome message for all people living on this planet. Inspired by the beauty of Norway and it’s True North. Beautiful songs, gorgeous country and brilliant band.

This is a bold exciting album from a-ha. They are a group from Norway and a lot of their english lyrics are filtered through a Norwegian idiomatic filter with very interesting results (sort of a "Nor-lish" that comes out. If you don't understand Norwegian (Norsk), it's all right. The music is fresh and experimental a la a-ha. Well worth a listen.

New music from A-ha is fanfrickingtastic.