Remember, remember the fifth of November, for that is when ABBA made their triumphant return to the music world with their surprisingly sudden ninth studio album, “Voyage.” ABBA have once again shaken the world to its core with “Voyage,” a beautifully heartfelt and earnest album that is everything any given ABBA fan was hoping for and more.
“Voyage” begins its journey with the heartwarming ballad, “I Still Have Faith in You.” Right out of the gate and soaring into the heavens, ABBA explodes with a reassuring melody that they indeed still have the same unique cadence that catapulted them to fame all those years ago. As the song is about the purity of their love for one another and their artistry, and their faith that no matter what other people think, no matter how much time has passed, their reasons for coming back are good and true. After all, “it all comes down to love.”
The pace does not stop as the album continues with hit after hit. “When You Danced With Me” is a wonderfully upbeat and bittersweet song about remembering a past love and coyly wondering if the flame is still there. “Little Things” slows the pace of the album again with its lullaby qualities delivering a sweet Christmas tune clearly sung by someone who loves their grandchildren.
“Voyage’s” other single, “Don’t Shut Me Down” is one of the highest energy tracks of the album. Showcasing ABBA’s classic disco pop sound, “Don’t Shut Me Down” is quite possibly one of the best comeback songs ever made. It encapsulates the immensely genuine and enthusiastic energy surrounding their exciting comeback as they shout from the rooftops that even though they have changed, they are “now and then combined.”
“Just A Notion” begins what seems to be “Voyage’s” self-contained story of the equal parts complicated yet happy marriages that were once the glue of the band. The track utilizes ABBA’s pension for narrative in their music, telling a sweet story of a young couple in young love, which parallels greatly to how ABBA was formed in the first place. “I Can Be That Woman” is a heartbreaking ballad that picks up on the couple later in life, the spark that lit their love in “Just A Notion” now much dimmer than before. “Keep An Eye On Dan” follows this couple shortly after their divorce, but rather than focusing on the uncomfortable and complicated emotions that arise out of a recent divorce, songwriters Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus focus on the often-worried feelings that come with co-parenting.
The album’s eighth track, “Bumblebee” takes a step back from songs inspired by the relationships between the members with a refreshing light and earnest ballad about enjoying the life around you through a scene of a pleasant afternoon in a garden. In pure ABBA fashion, the song writing and singer duos turn this relatively simple concept into a heartfelt summer ballad.
“No Doubt About It” once again touches upon how complicated relationships are, detailing a quarrel between a couple, both sides seeming equally to blame while only one seems willing to take the blame for it. A tongue and cheek song it once again shows ABBA’s prowess in writing songs about incredibly emotionally complicated topics with a soundtrack you can dance your heart out to.
The “Voyage” comes to an end with “Ode to Freedom,” an instrumental heavy ballad with a composure that moved me to tears. The lyrics aren’t the most conventional way to end the album, focusing on how difficult it is to write an ode to freedom everyone can relate to, especially from their privileged perspective. But in an interesting way, ABBA have already answered the wish presented in the song, “I wish that someone would write an ode to freedom that we all could sing.” Their pure, genuine music filled with heartfelt messages of hope and love and loss has given many across the globe an ode to freedom we could all sing.
