A is for “a welcome return
and a true return to form”
and a true return to form”
“A” - Agnetha Faltskög’s new album
Track-by-track review
The One Who Loves You Now
Precision styled like an ABBA song, even to the point of softly
strumming guitars with a nod to the supergroup’s overlooked
I’ve Been Waiting For You. Frida’s plaintive vocals are much
missed in the chorus, which could have helped propel this to
classic ABBA status. A sweet midtempo tune featuring Agnetha
in fine voice, it was chosen as the album’s first single in Germany,
fact fans.
strumming guitars with a nod to the supergroup’s overlooked
I’ve Been Waiting For You. Frida’s plaintive vocals are much
missed in the chorus, which could have helped propel this to
classic ABBA status. A sweet midtempo tune featuring Agnetha
in fine voice, it was chosen as the album’s first single in Germany,
fact fans.
Starting off a little like Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn hit from the 90s,
this radio-friendly track delicately places Agnetha’s voice in a new
modern soundscape it hasn’t featured in before…and it’s a good fit.
Deftly managing to escape the clutches of powerballad clichés via
its soaring chorus, When You Really Loved Someone makes a good
single choice (though it should have been #2 or #3).
this radio-friendly track delicately places Agnetha’s voice in a new
modern soundscape it hasn’t featured in before…and it’s a good fit.
Deftly managing to escape the clutches of powerballad clichés via
its soaring chorus, When You Really Loved Someone makes a good
single choice (though it should have been #2 or #3).
Perfume In The Breeze
Giving a gentle acknowledgement to Madonna circa her Ray of Light
and William Orbit era comes a title that could only have arisen from
the pen of a writer using English as a second language. Despite the poor
vocab choices (rainbows, shadows and tarot cards all manage to sneak
in here somehow) it’s pleasant enough fluff, but with the distinct whiff
of filler, or ye olde b-side, to it.
and William Orbit era comes a title that could only have arisen from
the pen of a writer using English as a second language. Despite the poor
vocab choices (rainbows, shadows and tarot cards all manage to sneak
in here somehow) it’s pleasant enough fluff, but with the distinct whiff
of filler, or ye olde b-side, to it.
I Was A Flower
No, it’s not the theme for yet another torrid Twilight sequel, but a twinkly
piano ballad blended with moody synth strings. Again this particular
Flower wilts under the heavy-handed weight of some sub-standard lyrics
filled with a mesh (and a mess) straight out of the “Rhyming English For
Dummies” dictionary. Still, Agnetha elevates this material to something
better than it deserved to be.
piano ballad blended with moody synth strings. Again this particular
Flower wilts under the heavy-handed weight of some sub-standard lyrics
filled with a mesh (and a mess) straight out of the “Rhyming English For
Dummies” dictionary. Still, Agnetha elevates this material to something
better than it deserved to be.
I Should’ve Followed You Home
After two sub-par tracks arrives Agnetha’s highly touted teaming with
Gary Barlow – talk about great cougar duets of our time! Starting as a soft,
pleading ballad, by the time the chorus kicks in it has transforms into a
toe-tapping pop song (think The Winner Takes It All) with glossy Swedish
production channelling Britney and, yes, Take That at their best.
Should’ve been the first single, actually.
Gary Barlow – talk about great cougar duets of our time! Starting as a soft,
pleading ballad, by the time the chorus kicks in it has transforms into a
toe-tapping pop song (think The Winner Takes It All) with glossy Swedish
production channelling Britney and, yes, Take That at their best.
Should’ve been the first single, actually.
Past Forever
On what would have been the first track on side “B” of the album version
it’s piano ballad time again. With words courtesy of songsmith
Carole Bayer Sager this is a definite step up in the lyrics stake and a true
highlight. Anyone who got a tad misty-eyed during Agnetha’s ABBA
ballad moments (S.O.S., The Winner Takes It All, One Of Us to name but
three) will find this tear-inducing forever more.
it’s piano ballad time again. With words courtesy of songsmith
Carole Bayer Sager this is a definite step up in the lyrics stake and a true
highlight. Anyone who got a tad misty-eyed during Agnetha’s ABBA
ballad moments (S.O.S., The Winner Takes It All, One Of Us to name but
three) will find this tear-inducing forever more.
Dance Your Pain Away
Did someone suddenly flick a switch labelled Voulez-Vous turning on a
throbbing mirrorball? Oh yes they did! Here’s dancing queen Agnetha
zipping up her boots imploring us to get back to our dancefloor roots.
With more than just a casual throwback to 70s eurodisco (a la Madonna’s
Hung Up) this will be a big crowdpleaser at every gay pride this year…and
for years to come. Painfully good!
throbbing mirrorball? Oh yes they did! Here’s dancing queen Agnetha
zipping up her boots imploring us to get back to our dancefloor roots.
With more than just a casual throwback to 70s eurodisco (a la Madonna’s
Hung Up) this will be a big crowdpleaser at every gay pride this year…and
for years to come. Painfully good!
Bubble
Suddenly we’re in the chillout lounge. It’s post-party after the crowds
have fled, the booze is wearing off and you’re making out with a handsome
stranger. That’s the Bubble you’re locked in. Though “rainbow skies,
northern lights” get trotted out, the moody, sensual, shuffling musical
backdrop gives off just the right hint of seduction here. The bubble is
“made for two”, incidentally. Lovely stuff.
have fled, the booze is wearing off and you’re making out with a handsome
stranger. That’s the Bubble you’re locked in. Though “rainbow skies,
northern lights” get trotted out, the moody, sensual, shuffling musical
backdrop gives off just the right hint of seduction here. The bubble is
“made for two”, incidentally. Lovely stuff.
Back On Your Radio
The dial, and the tempo, gets cranked back up a few notches with this
pleasant if forgettable tongue-in-cheek recognition of how Agnetha’s
voice has been missing on the radio “in the longest time”. Unfortunately
BOTR sags under the weight of a chorus the Spice Girls would have
rejected as too twee, straying unpleasantly from adult contemporary
into easy listening territory. Change the channel.
pleasant if forgettable tongue-in-cheek recognition of how Agnetha’s
voice has been missing on the radio “in the longest time”. Unfortunately
BOTR sags under the weight of a chorus the Spice Girls would have
rejected as too twee, straying unpleasantly from adult contemporary
into easy listening territory. Change the channel.
I Keep Them On The Floor Beside My Bed
It’s the return of the plinky pianos and our melancholy Swedish
songstress at first coming on like she’s trapped in a 70s mono car radio.
It matches the Carpenters-like music courtesy of Agnetha herself. It’s the
first piece of music she’s written since the 80s. With its guitar solo/strings
break it could easily have fallen off an early ABBA album, amongst the
strident hits. A classy finish toA.
songstress at first coming on like she’s trapped in a 70s mono car radio.
It matches the Carpenters-like music courtesy of Agnetha herself. It’s the
first piece of music she’s written since the 80s. With its guitar solo/strings
break it could easily have fallen off an early ABBA album, amongst the
strident hits. A classy finish toA.
An A- for A
With a running time of less than 40 minutes and a neat 10 tracks,
A heralds Agnetha Faltskög’s first new material since 1988’s
American-aimed I Stand Alone (since 2004’s My Colouring Book was
a well-received collection of her favourite covers). So was it worth a
few decades’ wait? While sometimes writer/producer Jörgen Elofsson’s
overly lush handiwork (and join-the-dots lyrics) lets individual songs
down, overall it’s a superb record. This particular A stands for both a
welcome return and a true return to form.
A heralds Agnetha Faltskög’s first new material since 1988’s
American-aimed I Stand Alone (since 2004’s My Colouring Book was
a well-received collection of her favourite covers). So was it worth a
few decades’ wait? While sometimes writer/producer Jörgen Elofsson’s
overly lush handiwork (and join-the-dots lyrics) lets individual songs
down, overall it’s a superb record. This particular A stands for both a
welcome return and a true return to form.
The real standout here is the surging ABBA-esque Dance Your Pain Away,
sure to be much requested on dancefloors across the Northern Summer
(not to mention the Southern Winter) this year. Another highlight is the
Gary Barlow duet I Should’ve Followed You Home that knowingly borrows
some of its abrupt tempo shifts from ABBA’s The Winner Takes It All and
perhaps would have been a much better choice as first single in every territory.
sure to be much requested on dancefloors across the Northern Summer
(not to mention the Southern Winter) this year. Another highlight is the
Gary Barlow duet I Should’ve Followed You Home that knowingly borrows
some of its abrupt tempo shifts from ABBA’s The Winner Takes It All and
perhaps would have been a much better choice as first single in every territory.
So, most importantly of all, does Agnetha’s new album herald a possible
ABBA reunion? Well, ABBA’s Bjorn and Benny have just composed
We Write The Story, the theme song for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest,
together with hot Swedish DJ/producer Avicii. It will premiere worldwide
during the telecast, handily being held this year in Stockholm, on May 18.
That means the only member of the one-time Swedish supergroup not active,
and yet to return to the super trouper lights of fame, is Frida.
Perhaps when the doors of that long-overdue ABBA Museum are finally
flung open in Stockholm in May (now there’s fortuitous timing!) it might
inspire our fab foursome to do some moresome for us. For now though,
the charming A is released ahead of all of this ABBA-related euphoria
(Loreen, you can sit down again now!) from May 10 worldwide.
It’s like Agnetha never really went away, when all is said and done.
flung open in Stockholm in May (now there’s fortuitous timing!) it might
inspire our fab foursome to do some moresome for us. For now though,
the charming A is released ahead of all of this ABBA-related euphoria
(Loreen, you can sit down again now!) from May 10 worldwide.
It’s like Agnetha never really went away, when all is said and done.
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