A-HA
Lifelines
I don't want to give the impression that I dislike this record, indeed I very much wanted to like it given that the band are keeping the eighties flag flying with such success, and there's no escaping from the fact that this is a band who are growing old gracefully - and all credit to them for that.
Unfortunately I want the A-Ha of old - the heady rush of 'Take On Me' through to the epic melancholy of 'Hunting High & Low', and in that quest I'm disappointed. For me this is a safe, competent, and professional album - but there are no real, ahem, highs or lows - opening with the first single from the album, the title track 'Lifelines' is quiet, understated, and stylish - it soothes with its sweeping strings but doesn't really engage which is a criticism that applies to most of the fifteen tracks on this record.
'You Wanted More' is a better showcase for Morten's swooping vocals and in places is almost operatic, unfortunately in its use of Moby-esque distorted vocals and an indecisive dance beat it tries too hard to be contemporary. More successful in this attempt to sound current is 'A Little Bit' which almost manages to retain an A-Ha feel while sounding a little like Coldplay, and most successful of all comes towards the end of the record in the shape of 'Dragonfly' which exhibits a passion lacking elsewhere on the record, it's a gentle but insistent track which doesn't try too hard yet sets us up for the closing song 'Solace' which with its clear sweeping vocals sounds almost like the old A-Ha trying to get out.
'Lifelines' is a pleasant record that neither challenges or offends which is its strength and its failing - respect to A-Ha for breaking the pop mould, but my money is on the Duran Duran reformation for the pop thrills I'm looking for.
Unfortunately I want the A-Ha of old - the heady rush of 'Take On Me' through to the epic melancholy of 'Hunting High & Low', and in that quest I'm disappointed. For me this is a safe, competent, and professional album - but there are no real, ahem, highs or lows - opening with the first single from the album, the title track 'Lifelines' is quiet, understated, and stylish - it soothes with its sweeping strings but doesn't really engage which is a criticism that applies to most of the fifteen tracks on this record.
'You Wanted More' is a better showcase for Morten's swooping vocals and in places is almost operatic, unfortunately in its use of Moby-esque distorted vocals and an indecisive dance beat it tries too hard to be contemporary. More successful in this attempt to sound current is 'A Little Bit' which almost manages to retain an A-Ha feel while sounding a little like Coldplay, and most successful of all comes towards the end of the record in the shape of 'Dragonfly' which exhibits a passion lacking elsewhere on the record, it's a gentle but insistent track which doesn't try too hard yet sets us up for the closing song 'Solace' which with its clear sweeping vocals sounds almost like the old A-Ha trying to get out.
'Lifelines' is a pleasant record that neither challenges or offends which is its strength and its failing - respect to A-Ha for breaking the pop mould, but my money is on the Duran Duran reformation for the pop thrills I'm looking for.
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