A-ha: 'Foot Of The Mountain'

With everyone from Blur to Spandau Ballet reforming this year, the unobservant may suspect that A-ha are merely the latest to jump on the bandwagon. However, the '80s hitmakers actually reunited way back in 1998, and Foot Of The Mountain is their fourth album of the decade. Listeners who only remember the group for their massive 1985 single 'Take On Me' (and that animated video) will immediately recognise the tones of frontman Morten Harket, which sound as fresh now as they did back then, even if they do get an occasional – and unnecessary - update courtesy of Auto-Tune.

The tracks that stick to the band's classic keyboard-driven sound are the best here. 'The Bandstand' is a brooding, beatsy opener which sounds a lot like former contemporaries Depeche Mode, though admittedly without the same menace. Meanwhile, 'Sunny Mystery' evokes another group from the period, New Order, which is no surprise seeing as Foot Of The Mountain was co-produced by ex-Perfecto man Steve Osborne, who also worked on the Manchester band's 2001 comeback record Get Ready.

'Riding The Crest' may marry its intertwining melodies to somewhat shallow lyrics ("You don't even know what's missing / You need some sugar to make the pill go down"), but it certainly doesn't sound like the work of a group whose members are pushing 50. While they might not share the same pace and sparkle as recent offerings from today's electropop upstarts, tracks like 'What There Is' and 'Mother Nature Goes To Heaven' do a sterling job in showing where the likes of Ladyhawke and Little Boots nabbed their ideas from.

However, the album loses its way in its middle section, becoming bogged down with a series of plodding electro-ballads. 'Shadowside', 'Real Meaning' and 'Nothing Is Keeping You Here' all lack the oomph needed to elevate them from the realms of the ordinary and at times the melodies drift dangerously close to the middle of the road. Despite that, Foot Of The Mountain should definitely please those who've kept up with Morten and the boys over the years, and could possibly tempt the odd newcomer along for the ride.