Voyage Album Review

Filled with rich harmonies and flashbacks from Arrival & Voulez-Vous, ABBA’s new album Voyage is a journey. It has been 40 years since the Swedish band released music, and they couldn’t have come back any stronger. Although the band’s popular status may have dimmed after their split in 1982, ABBA’s release of new music has assured that their influence would remain in modern pop.

Voyage starts with “I Still Have Faith in You”, a slow but vibey song that has a great harmony, especially with the background (“Do I have it in me?”) as part of the refrain after every verse. The album follows with “When You Danced With Me”, a mix of a celtic/pop sound that stays catchy through the clap-along verses and the instrumental section. “Little Things” comes next; an unexpected Christmas song that shows off the high end of Agnetha and Frida’s vocal range. Although it may be easy to mock it, the song is gentle even with the children’s choir at the end in classic ABBA style that introduces new Christmas-Carol melodies. 

Next comes “Don’t Shut Me Down”, arguably one of the best tracks on the album. Personally, it is my favorite song on the album and a general fan favorite. With a slow start and the famous ABBA glissando, the song keeps amazing instrumentals and a catchy chorus on the topic of our protagonist waiting in the park to confront her man. This song could have definitely been seen on Super Trouper as it keeps ABBA’s sound from the 80s, making it even more remarkable.

The first half of the album ends with “Just A Notion”, which gives the Waterloo and Voulez-Vous melodies quite the revival. The original version remains unreleased and this one includes original vocals with new instrumentals, making it very much ABBA from ‘the old days’.

Kicking off the second half of Voyage is “I Can Be That Woman”, a slow ballad with a decent chorus about a failing relationship. My personal favorite melody is in the last part of the first verse: (“And then you wake up and you’re bleary-eyed / I say I’m sorry, I can see you’ve cried”) and the last verse/chorus when the instrumentals pick up. Next comes another fan favorite called “Keep An Eye On Dan”. This song is mostly about a joint-custody arrangement with the woman asking her estranged partner to keep an eye on their son. The chorus has an extremely catchy melody to it with funkier lyrics and a faster pace. It closes with a reference to the famous “S.O.S.” through Benny and Björn’s piano motif. The album follows with “Bumblebee”, which has a very clear “Fernando” sounding intro melody that later moves on to orchestral flourishes and acoustic sounds. This song has very clear vocals as opposed to many of their other choir-sounding vocals. It is simpler in a sweet and innocent way, talking about enjoying the pleasures of serenely sitting in a garden observing bumblebees and showing concern for global environmental issues in an almost childlike manner. 

Second to last is “No Doubt About It”, a much more upbeat song filled with handclaps, pumping bass, and strident vocal delivery. This brilliant pop song maintains a catchy chorus with the (“I messed it up, alright / And there’s no doubt about it”). This song is also a popular favorite among many as the fast paced melody describes a woman taking the blame for an argument in a relationship in a mocking manner. 

This album ends with a very instrumentally strong piece called “Ode to Freedom”. It’s a waltz piece, a very grand closing statement since it could be considered a goodbye to many. It keeps a dramatic orchestral theme on the topic of what it would be like to try and define freedom since it is such a universal concept. It is definitely a strong closing piece that succeeds in leaving the listener feeling melancholic or nostalgic.

Overall, Voyage came as a surprise to many, since not many bands come back after 40 years of being apart to release one last album. It is satisfying since fans may have expected it to fail like many comeback albums from other broken up bands. The band has expertly chosen to release this album of mostly new songs that together sound like an ABBA ‘greatest hits’ in terms of arrangement, melody, and style. It has the group’s DNA and influence all over it, like a closing statement in the music industry should.

by Berta Casanova