Voyage - First play reactions (Contains spoilers)

I Can Be That Woman - Love love love this. I was worried about Agnetha’s vocal on this album but actually her aged voice works like a dream in this. And she can still sell a story with the best of them. I love proper kitchen sink ABBA.
 
Keep An Eye On Dan - To think I thought this might have been a frothy Bjorn-led comedy number! The brooding, the drama, the synths! The callback at the end is a bit much but it JUST feels earned.
 
Bumblebee - Hmm I think this might be the dud. Frida sounds great though.
 
I don't really have much to say about Bumblebee. That one definitely needs to bed in.
 
No Doubt About It - This sounds more like an 80s Frida track than an ABBA song. :o

It’s punchy, I like it.
 
Ode To Freedom - My flatmate who has been a bit down on the whole album has surprised me by really liking this one. It’s definitely better on 2nd listen and something different for them. Great lyrics.
 
10 I Still Have Faith In You
08 When You Danced With Me
04 Little Things
10 Don't Shut Me Down
06 Just A Notion
07 I Can Be That Woman
08 Keep An Eye On Dan
06 Bumblebee
09 No Doubt About It
09 Ode To Freedom
 
My main takeaway from the album is that I’m really pleasantly surprised that they’ve covered a fair bit of new ground with it - the singles did not give the impression they would.
 
07 I Still Have Faith In You
09 When You Danced With Me
05 Little Things
11 Don’t Shut Me Down
08 Just A Notion
09 I Can Be That Woman
09 Keep An Eye On Dan
03 Bumblebee
08 No Doubt About It
06 Ode To Freedom

I think.
 
I think one more listen. Then I have to put Kylie's Non-Stop History 50+1 on repeat on all night, in a futile bid to stop Mr L buggering up my lastfm stats with however many thousand plays he gets in before the end of the year.
 
Just A Notion - a throwaway album track from their less cool days. I'm not mad at it.
 
I Can Be That Woman - is this the problematic one? I kind of love the kitchen sink drama of it all.
 
Keep An Eye On Dan - I was expecting to love this one much more, based on initial feedback. But I find the synth hook and the chorus lyrics a bit... basic?
 
Bumblebee - I don't know why, but I am rather enjoying the more sentimental, kitschy stuff way more than I thought I would. I must be getting old!
 
Ode to Freedom - Good Lord, Gammons are going to eat this UP! It's giving us very Take Back Control energy but I can't help but stan!
 
Post-first-listen rank
  1. Don't Shut Me Down (11)
  2. I Still Have Faith In You (10)
  3. I Can Be That Woman (9)
  4. When You Danced With Me (8)
  5. Ode to Freedom (8)
  6. Keep an Eye on Dan (7)
  7. No Doubt About It (7)
  8. Bumblebee (6)
  9. Just a Notion (6)
  10. Little Things (5)
 
07 I Still Have Faith In You
09 When You Danced With Me
06 Little Things
10 Don't Shut Me Down
07 Just A Notion
07 I Can Be That Woman
09 Keep An Eye On Dan
05 Bumblebee
09 No Doubt About It
08 Ode To Freedom
 
OK I've had a listen.

The whole vibe is nothing has changed in the world of ABBA except they got older, they bought a new synth and are slightly sassier in their golden years.

Obviously I love it, initially I'd probably compare it to The Album, a kind of mish mash of styles, trying to balance schlager, disco, soft rock, glam, country etc... the Irish number is probably the only genre that's new to them.

It absolutely works, it will satisfy the hardened fans and the casuals in equal measure. It's not groundbreaking, but we never expected or wanted that.
 
Obviously there are a few jarring moments, but I'm sticking to the A NEW ABBA ALBUM IS A BLESSING line. Criticism can come later.
 
I really like it on initial listen!

11 I Still Have Faith In You
07 When You Danced With Me
02 Little Things - FUCK OFF CHILDREN'S CHOIR
10 Don't Shut Me Down
07 Just A Notion
08 I Can Be That Woman
09 Keep An Eye On Dan
08 Bumblebee
10 No Doubt About It
10 Ode To Freedom

:disco:
 
WELL. I am really happy.

10 I Still Have Faith In You - the VOCALS

09 When You Danced With Me - this has the kind of gorgeously autumnal quality of Knowing Me and When All Is Said And Done with a slightly bitter edge. I can see Frida still standing on that rocky outcrop.

05 Little Things (08 if we kill the children) - this is cute after 2x large sherry at 740am

10 Don’t Shut Me Down - THE LYRICISM

05 Just A Notion - (…)

05 I Can Be That Woman - Very Roxette in places but this is schmaltzy and not sharp or painful enough.

10 Keep An Eye On Dan - my favourite kind of ABBA is the tinge of peril in things like Tiger, Marionette and Elaine and that off-kilter current is missing here apart from this and No Doubt About It. @Ag your vocal is GREAT here.

06 Bumblebee - this reminds me of my all-time Frida vocal favourites Cassandra and Fernando but sponsored by Countryfile.

11- No Doubt About It - this is like watching ABBA live in Australia in a thunderstorm, screaming with joy as Frida elbows her way across the stage and flirts with someone else’s husband.

05 Ode To Freedom (…)
 
WHAT IDIOT THOUGHT THIRD WAS THE RIGHT PLACE TO PUT A CHRISTMAS SINGLE?
 
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