Scoundrel Days is, and has been from when first heard on cassette in a bedroom wallpapered with posters of Magne, Morten and Paul, until the present, when the MP3 of the title track blasts out of the car’s speakers while stuck in a traffic jam on the way to work, my favourite a-ha album. The songs contained therein started a quarter of a century passion for, or, as some of my more uncharitable friends and family have described it, ‘obsession’ with, a-ha’s music.

From the opening bars of “Scoundrel Days” to the closing lyrics of “Soft Rains of April” it is obvious that the band had departed from the ‘pop’ sound of their first album. Scoundrel Days is not as ‘easy listening’ as Hunting High and Low, the tracks are more thought provoking and highlight the growing maturity of a-ha’s sound at the time of it’s release. I feel the album appeals to a more sophisticated audience than the first which had largely attracted the teenage girl demographic with songs like “Take On Me” and “The Sun Always Shines On TV” and is perhaps a truer reflection of the band’s ethos.

The album cover with its brooding landscape and photograph of the band hints at the change of direction a-ha had taken. “Scoundrel Days” with it’s atmospheric, almost shocking, lyrics and soaring chorus, the emotive “The Swing Of Things”, lamenting separation from a loved one and “I’ve Been Losing You” with Paul’s songwriting and Morten’s voice capturing the premise that passion can lead to tragedy are among the stand out tracks for me.

That said, it is the fifth track on the album, “Manhattan Skyline”, that is my favourite a-ha song of all time as the lyrics strike a chord, serving as a reminder of my somewhat nomadic childhood. The opening verse with it’s beautiful melody and lyrics gives the song the appearance of being a standard ballad, then suddenly, there is a change in tempo from verse to chorus with a surprisingly raw, almost angry, sound that seems to capture the sentiment of the lyrics, the pain felt by leaving someone you care for, perfectly.

“October”, “The Weight Of The Wind” and “Soft Rains Of April” follow a similar theme with slightly melancholic, though never self indulgent, lyrics and melodies and the track list is rounded off with the more up-tempo “Cry Wolf”, “We’re Looking for the Whales” and “Maybe Maybe”.

In 1986 the album struck a chord with what can only be described as ‘teen angst’ but as I have grown and evolved so has my perception of the songs and their lyrics. Today I believe they are descriptive of the human condition, and state that life, and love, is never easy.

It is, I feel, testament to the quality of Scoundrel Days that the sentiment of the tracks is still pertinent twenty-four years later, long after the format on which the first copy of the album I bought was made obsolete.

Scoundrel Days is a perfect example of a-ha at their best.