Voyage

What an experience. What a feeling to be able to listen to a brand new ABBA record in 2021. Firstly, this album isn’t cutting edge or ground breaking. Don’t expect modern reinvention. But it’s not trying to do that. There’s a self-aware element running under this album. All 4 members clearly wanted to make something timeless and ageless. This is an album that ABBA have made because they love to make music. It very much feels like a “thank you and goodnight” moment, a way for the members to put some closure on their ABBA career whilst also letting it continue in their fans lives. As such, it’s full of little nods to the past. This is an album for the love of ABBA and ABBA fans - not for the critics. “I Still Have Faith In You” still makes me quite emotional. For many years, the 4 band members were quite dismissive of their ABBA years, or possibly overwhelmed by it all. “We have a story, and it survived”. It’s both the gratitude and amazement in the delivery of that line. Gets me everytime. Cause you know that they thought they were done and discarded for so many years, I find it really heartwarming that they’re finally comfortable with it all and can actually be proud of what they did and enjoy it. It would have been even better had the song opened with a fade in of the crowd applause like in the video. That would’ve been a wonderful way to open the album, a nod to the new Voyage live show and also a throwback to “The Way Old Friends Do”. “When You Danced With Me” is a great track. Clearly Irish influenced but with a typical ABBA twist. The melody reminds me of “Arrival”. They’ve not really done anything like this. It’s a big track, quite loud, but that gives it this really unique atmosphere. Like your stood out in the sweeping Irish countryside when you listen to it. Wonderful to hear them try something new at this stage of their career. The joint vocal by Agnetha and Frida is just wonderful too. “Little Things” manages to combine 2 things I hate. Christmas and children’s choirs. BAH HUMBUG. Having said that, whilst I don’t think this is a song I will listen to often, it has a timeless quality too it. Like an old Christmas standard that families would sing around the piano on Christmas Day. It’s quite a warm little song, very sweet. It’s feels more like a poem though, there’s no real chorus too it. A pop song it ain’t. “Don’t Shut Me Down” is an instant ABBA classic. It’s like the sequel to “One of Us” with a bit of “If It Wasn’t For the Nights” thrown in for good measure. The second chorus is so euphoric and probably my favourite moment on the album. A great characterisation performance from Agnetha too. She has such a unique way of making you feel what she’s singing, and though her voice has lowered over the years, she hasn’t lost that magic ability to pull you in. I would not have been surprised if this was a leftover from the 1982 sessions that gave us “Under Attack” and “I Am The City” either. “Just A Notion” I didn’t like as a stand along single and I’m still a bit miffed that they re-used 1978 vocals on a 2021 album. Having said that I enjoyed it a lot more in context with the album. I think it’s a fun song, and it really injects that into the album. It’s needed too, as some of the subject matter on the back end of the album is quite serious. “I Can Be That Woman” is quite a harrowing tale of alcoholism and domestic abuse. I thought with all the dog references that I would hate it but again, Agnetha really draws you into the story. One of the lyrically darkest songs I think they’ve done. Really love this one. “Keep An Eye On Dan” is a bit of an 80’s throwback musically and great example of Agnetha & Frida taking some slightly naff lyrics and making it something special. Again, quite a dark tale about a divorced couple, and one of the couple meets someone new, and that effect on the child. Great little nod to “SOS” at the end too. The drums in the chorus seem a bit off for some reason though - quite “unsmooth”? Like they’re not really gelling with the rest of the track. It could have done with a smoother drum take, to give it more of a slick “Lay All Your Love On Me” type sound. The verses are incredible though. “Bumblebee” has an amazing vocal by Frida. She sounds so strong here. The song is folky, I can hear a bit of a nod to “Fernando” in it and some of the earlier ABBA tracks from the first album. It didn’t jump out at me at first but it’s growing on me. Again - the serious subject in a polished song - this one is about climate change. “No Doubt About It” - what a great pop rock track. This wouldn’t sound out of place on Frida’s “Shine” album. You can hear in her vocal delivery that she’s really having fun with it too. This would’ve made a great single. “Ode to Freedom” sounds like ABBA doing Enya, with a touch of “Like An Angel Passing Through My Room” thrown in for good measure. Great atmosphere although the vocal is a bit buried in the mix and it’s hard to decipher the lyrics at times. It also ends quite abruptly - I sort of wish it had a bigger, longer outro to really send us off into the future so that the voyage really never ends, but a beautiful song nonetheless. Overall a really wonderful album. Does it really reach the heights of their original run? No. But it’s certainly better than their low’s (I’m looking at you, “I Saw It In The Mirror”). Also, this is not an album made by people in their 20’s and 30’s either. Don’t go in expecting to hear “Voulez-Vous” or “Dancing Queen”. But it’s a very beautiful way of rounding off ABBA nicely. More proof that their music will truly never die, and thank good for that! The world needs ABBA.

I feel the critics have been a little unkind to this album, they firstly don't seem to have grasped that Abba have reformed for a fun little project, they aren't trying to better their classics or have big chart success, they just wanted to had a little fun and bring some new songs for the fans. It is also evident most of the critics haven't actually listened to the album properly, they've just skipped over the songs quickly. What we have here is a very good album. The songs are varied, and the production doesn't try and be modern, it's just classic Abba which is obviously what everyone wants, there's no-one wanted Abba to try and modernise. There are indeed some interesting subject matters in the songs, not unusual for Abba but very catchy melodies and vocals that stick in your head after a couple of listens, it takes something special for songs to stick in your head so quickly. Both the girls are in great voice. Frida sounds unchanged, Agnetha does sing a little more mature but as she's said herself, the emotion she can produce now and the way she can use her voice offers things she couldn't do before, the emotion in 'I Can Be That Woman' is amazing. All the critics can do is complain that it's anti women (I don't see that anyhow, I think it's well balanced) but by telling the story from the viewpoint of the dog, she can bring you to tears if you play it loud and listen to it properly. Meanwhile, Frida's story of the bumblebee is equally moving, a very thoughtful song. It's seeing the bigger picture with this album, it gives the fans exactly that they want, some catchy new songs, very easy listening and even when dealing with perhaps more depressing subject matters we have happy lively melodies to lighten the mood. This album does exactly what it sets out to, gives the girls chance to sing together their harmonies, even the boys can be heard in the back of 'Keep and Eye on Dan' which is great, it is a fun little project the fans can enjoy and the sales speak for themselves.

All new compositions from the super band in their first offering for many years. They still have it! I Still Have Faith In You is my particular favourite and as catchy as any of their other big hits and my only surprise is that this did not get the playtime to be another Top Ten title. The album accompanies the virtual tech show of the same name currently running in the purpose-built ABBA Arena in London. Both the album and the show are outstanding. Buy the album and visit the show or play the album as a show reminder! It stands alone as a great offering from ABBA and is well worth the purchase price

Voor de liefhebber natuurlijk.

I wasn't sure how this album would compare to the ABBA songs from decades ago, but I love it. It's maybe sort of a Seekers sound, more mellow and less pop.

È sempre meraviglioso ascoltare gli Abba. Questo CD dona grandi emozioni e ci fa sognare!

With this, my ABBA collections is complete. Abba music is still Abba in essence. The style of music remains unchange despite the 40 years return.

Todo perfecto.