The Band That Cried Wolf
4 Out of 5 Stars
I have a feeling that the suits at Warner Brothers probably had to take some stomach settlers after A-Ha delivered "Scoundrel Days," their second album. "Where's the "Take on Me" hit," they probably whimpered? Because unlike the sugary Duran Duran pop that A-Ha's first big hit delivered, "Scoundrel Days" was dark, menacing pop, and while the video that made the band stars dressed them up as pretty boys, this album made them look thoughtful and more than a little dark.
That change-up was something I really enjoyed about this album. A-Ha may have come from a power-pop start, but they evolved quickly into a pop band with a dark center. Even with the crystalline falsetto of Morton Harkett, the band could not disguise the anguish of the title track or the atmospheric dread of "Cry Wolf." They also sound more mature. "The Swing of Things" has smooth glide to it, and should have been the first single. "Soft Rains of April" is a gorgeous waltz that closes the album with a soft goodbye. I enjoyed the first a-ha album, but songs like the ones on "Scoundrel Days" made me a fan.
PS: The bonus tracks are OK; other than the live tracks on disc 2 and the extended versions on disc on, they're negligible. (Caveat; I'm not a big fan of demo-versions.)
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