A-ha - Stay On These Roads (1988)

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A-ha - Stay On These Roads (1988)

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After the incredible Hunting High and Low and the stellar Scoundrel Days, a-ha paints a colder atmosphere with their slightly more expansive Stay On These Roads. Most of the songs are a little bit less outright and accessible than on those previous records, notably the cheesy closer “You’ll End Up Crying, ” which is why it falls short in comparison. But, there is an underlying theatrical sound driven largely by the incredible James Bond title track, The Living Daylights. The opening string synthesizer motif is gripping, and perfectly captures the music of John Barry. If you’ve ever seen the movie, many of the songs in Stay On These Roads would perfectly fit in the film.

The cheery nature of a-ha is still present in certain moments, like the sweet Touchy with a-bit dated swimwear in the music video, but still admirably 80s. The vocal abilities of Morten Harket are beautifully sung on the stunning title track. The soaring chorus couldn’t be done by anyone else other than him, for his range and power appear unmatched in popular music. Much of the bleaker sounds can be attributed to the instrumentation choices, like the distant flutes and strings in There’s Never A Forever Thing or after the second chorus in The Living Daylights. The welcoming sounds to winter never grow old.

Stay On These Roads is one of the most satisfying records to hear in retrospect, and many of the "not so catchy" songs I previously dismissed over like Hurry Home or This Alone Is Love, have a hint of John Barry inspired sound. In recent times, I’ve greatly come to admire the contemplative, yet catchy Out of Blue Comes Green. It’s one of the few pop songs I’ve ever heard using an oboe, not exactly a common trend, but it gives the chorus so much personality. Across the record, the replay value is higher than what most critics believe.

Not only is Stay on These Roads a-ha’s last true new wave album, I consider this to be their penultimate point where every track has such a distinct personality. In later records, they would pursue this “adult contemporary” genre, stepping away from the synthesizers and focusing more on the standard 4 piece rock set up. Sure it’s more “mature,” but even Cast In Steel doesn’t have such distinct sounds or hooks defining each song. If you’re looking to soak up everything 80s by a-ha, this is a great album to add to your collection. A strong statement, and certainly one of their most memorable.

by Gabriel Lane, allmusic

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A-ha - Stay On These Roads (1988)

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A-ha - Stay On These Roads (1988)

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