With their 8th studio album, a-ha has come up with something that will both surprise and reassure long-time fans. Three of the first 4 tracks sound like nothing the band has ever done. The sensual urgency of "Celice" and "Don't Do Me Any Favours" is underscored with driving guitars. . .something different indeed for the keyboard-driven pop stars. The title track rocks in a similar vein as well. These changes may be a bit jarring at first for fans, but they are a great opening statement.

Things settle down with the lovely "Birthright" and "Holyland", the latter of which has quickly become my favorite track on the album. The a-ha we know and love is back in place throughout the rest of the album, with Morten Harkett in fine vocal form with the heartfelt material. This latter half has much in common with the LIFELINES album, which is not a bad thing at all.

ANALOGUE does occasionally bog down in the middle, with the lukewarm "Over the Treetops," and the lenghty "Halfway Through the Tour" and its sleepy final 3 minutes of instrumentation. It's epic length without epic strength.

Still, there's much to recommend here, and a-ha fans are sure to enjoy it. If you're new to the band (or just rediscovering them), I'd recommend you first get their 2000 masterpiece, MINOR EARTH MAJOR SKY. But ANALOGUE is a fine addition to their catalogue, and hopefully one that will bring them continued international success.

This album is yet another accomplished effort from the Norwegian trio. Since the 80's, a-ha has gone from synths and drummachines to more guitar and piano in the 90's and now to a more rich and organic sound for their albums of the new millenium. This is especially true with their latest effort, Analogue.

The sound might be somewhat different, but the typical melancholic and well written songs are there together with Morten's excellent voice, wich he on this album takes to a bit of a different level.

The album includes two songs with the legendary Graham Nash ( from the Crosby Stills and Nash ) on backing vocals. The two songs are " Cosy Prisons " and " Over the Treetops ". The latter has a bit of a 60's feel to it and cool guitar work. Something that perhaps is a bit surprising to people, but a-ha grew up with 60's music and was very much influenced by that before they started with a-ha.

Other stand outs are: " Analogue ", " Celice ", " Don't Do Me Any Favours ", " Keeper of the Flame ", " White Dwarf ", " A Fine Blue Line ", " Holy Ground ", " Birthright " and " Summers of Our Youth ", wich is a duet between Morten Harket and Magne Furuholmen.

AND these songs sounds even better live. Get the maxi singles of " Celice " and especially " Analogue " wich includes live versions from Frognerparken concert in their hometown of Oslo in Norway ( audience of 150 000 !! )

Next a-ha album is said to be ready in 2007.

Their inaugural album, "Hunting High and Low" put them in 80's icon status. Forever known in mainstream circles as "the Take On Me guys", the average listener would never imagine the creative breakthroughs these guys would achieve through the years since that album.

It all began with "East Of The Sun..." It was clear at this point that a-ha got fed up with trying to please the critics and decided to pour their entire heart and creative arsenal into making great music that stands the test of time. They went mellow, acoustic, and almost became the antithesis of themselves. They lost alot of their mainstream fans that hung on to them through the super hits, but slowly picked up a legion of new supporters that will forever remain loyal. They followed up this with another unique classic "Memorial Beach". Then came the long hiatus followed by great comeback albums "Minor Earth, Major Sky" and "Lifelines". Though some of the tunes meandered at times, they still carried the same philosophy which made "East Of The Sun..." such a great album.

Now, comes their most amazing work "Analogue". With the most Beatlesque sound of any of their previous works, a-ha pulls out all the stops with some of the most powerful songs and beautiful ballads of their career. If you want a repeat of "Hunting High And Low" and "Scoundrel Days", you won't get it here. This one is on a completely different plane. Though they will never forsake their hits of yesteryear, a-ha does not live solely for the nostalgic. Great bands are determined when they continue to successfully stretch the boundaries, take risks, and not delve in the repetitive.

There are two versions of this album: this 2-disc edition and a single one (to be released November 29). GET THE DOUBLE-DISC EDITION!! It's more expensive but worth every penny. You've got a bonus DVD which includes an interview, a documentary on the making of the the album, and live performances from their recent tour in Oslo. Truly a no-brainer: If you're going to get "Analogue", get the full experience!

It did not take long for a-ha's new CD to grow on me. As usual some of those songs remain in your head after listening to them and you anticipate playing the CD again and again to get that somewhat euphoric feeling. The very first track, CELICE really grew on me and I quite enjoy it. At first I thought it wasn't quite up to their usual aesthetics but I was wrong. CELICE is very good. I was also engrossed by COSY PRISONS, ANALOGUE, BIRTHRIGHT and WHITE DWARF. They all give me a little boost of the spirit and I like that feeling. At first I thought this CD was just an extension of their last two studio CDs but ANALOGUE really is in a new yet familiar sounding direction. This CD is very soothing and relaxing to listen to. The sound of a-ha is still there. It is forever present. I don't know how else to describe what I feel about this CD other than to say that I like it, it sounds very good and it is eminently soothing and relaxing and a pure enjoyment.

Every time a-ha comes out with a new album, it lives in my car's CD changer for at least 6 months (unless it is Memorial Beach, in which case the four songs I like live on a compilation disk in the CD changer for 6 months). Some albums live there substantially longer. I kept MEMS and Lifelines in first position for over a year (both are still in my changer, but now relegated to slot 11 or 12). Heck, I have kept 5 tracks from Morton's Wild Seed in my changer for over 4 years as part of an a-ha compilation. For whatever reason, a-ha is one of the 10 artists whose albums I will always buy, who never completely let me down, and who I will eschew all other music for when they release something new.

Having said that, I was glad MEMS and Lifelines were long, and not because everything on them was good. I was glad because even after you cut out the 3 or 4 songs that don't work for you (sorry "Mary Ellen Makes the Moment Count" and "Oranges on Apple Trees") you were still left with at least ten good songs and an album which could equal Hunting High and Low, Scoundrel Days,and Stay on These Roads (much maligned, but one of my favorites).

So it is with Analogue. Do I love "Over the Treetops"? Not really. I liked it better when Neil Young sang it and it was called "Cowgirl in the Sand." And I liked the abstract, 60s vibe of "Halfway through the Door" until I realised it was called "Halfway thorugh the Tour" and was about life on the road (it can take its place next to "Company Man" in my circular file).

But rip and burn a new disk excluding those misfires (heck, I still kind of like Over the Treetops, it just doesn't really fit in with the rest of the album)and you are left with one exceptional a-ha album.

"Celice" is not an immediate pop song, but because of that, it has some staying power (which is good, since I will listen to this disc at least 200 times over the next 6 months). Same with "Don't do me any favors."

The structure of "Cozy Prisons" threw me a little at first, but is now one of my favorites. "Analogue" is just about perfect, and I am glad it was not the first single, because otherwise it would get played out for me quicker.

For me, the real core of this album is "Birthright" "Holy Ground" and "Fine Blue Line" (and when you ditch Paal's Beatles tributes, they become the literal middle of the album). A-ha could make 5 more albums with songs exactly like these and I would give each the 6 months it deserves.

"Keeper of the Flame" would be one of my favorites if the lyrics were anything other than what they are. I will not, and can not "give it up for rock n'roll" and "how it made me feel." A-ha are many things, but "rock n'roll" they are not, and I just can't accept an a-ha song that is about rock' n'roll (or about "pumping my fist into the air" and saying "four more years and I am outta' here"). I guess I am just not nostalgic for high school (Would I even be an a-ha fan if adolescence had been pleasant? Well-adjusted kids don't really need Nordic melonchalia to get them through the day).

But "Make it Soon" works, and "White Dwarf" is a gift (Hey- a-ha was there with the "outer space" imagery in MEMS way before Coldplay's "X&Y"). And if Magne's voice doesn't quite justify his duet with Morton on "Summers of our Youth," his stellar contributions to the album as a whole, let alone that song, do. I actually think the contrast of voices enhances the song (something I thought I would never say after "the way we talk").

Simply put, this really is a fine album. Far more cohesive than Lifelines and more varied than MEMS. Now if only someone can convince Paal that he is not Paul McCartney . . .