Music Review: ABBA’s ‘Voyage’ Delivers Listenable Ballads

Congratulations to ABBA, which has just released its highest-charting album ever in the U.S.: Last month, Voyage debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard album chart. No, ABBA still hasn’t had a No. 1 album in this country. Keep trying folks, and maybe you’ll be as big as Harry Styles someday.

I prefer to look on the bright side with Voyage: It isn’t great, but it’s not bad. Yes, I am grading on a curve. There’s one kind-of-okay dance number, “Don’t Shut Me Down,” featuring a piano glissando like the one that kicks off “Dancing Queen,” and a few stately orchestral songs, notably the closer, “Ode to Freedom.” Some of the album is filler.

About the Author

Kyle Smith

Kyle Smith is the film critic for the Wall Street Journal.

Congratulations to ABBA, which has just released its highest-charting album ever in the U.S.: Last month, Voyage debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard album chart. No, ABBA still hasn’t had a No. 1 album in this country. Keep trying folks, and maybe you’ll be as big as Harry Styles someday.

I prefer to look on the bright side with Voyage: It isn’t great, but it’s not bad. Yes, I am grading on a curve. There’s one kind-of-okay dance number, “Don’t Shut Me Down,” featuring a piano glissando like the one that kicks off “Dancing Queen,” and a few stately orchestral songs, notably the closer, “Ode to Freedom.” Some of the album is filler.