Grown from the original live studio session to a full-fledged film production including performance scenes and musical support from the arctic philharmonic orchestra, the project of the former synth-pop poster boys, which was created against the backdrop of the Arctic Circle, is a thoroughly ambitious multimedia undertaking.
At the same time, TRUE NORTH doesn’t give the impression of primarily wanting to be an artistic spacer to their own 80s past. Rather, the meanwhile equal songwriter self-image of guitarist Pål Waaktaar-Savoy and keyboardist Magne Furuholmen is allowed to appear in a cozy lounge context and correspondingly finer thread.
Above all, a-ha prove that well-composed songs still come effortlessly to them
The arrangements, some of which have been extended by Electronica swabs, are pleasantly unobtrusive, while singer Morten Harket is able to pull out almost all registers vocally and emotionally, even if not the very highest ones. He also greets epigones like Coldplay (“I’m In”), but above all a-ha prove with all sorts of beautiful pieces like the title song, “As If” or “Summer Rain” that well-composed songs are still effortless for them walk.
The vaguely sketchy nature of the “Take On Me” video of the century may be (pop) history by now, but almost four decades later the Norwegian trio is in good hands with this distinguished late work.
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