(CNN)Four decades since their past album, Swedish popular legends ABBA are yet back, successful 1 of the astir anticipated philharmonic returns successful caller years.
Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog reunited this twelvemonth after going their abstracted ways successful 1982. "ABBA: Voyage," their caller medium released Friday, features 10 tracks and is their archetypal since "The Visitors" successful 1981.
So, was it worthy the wait?
For galore fans, it's harmless to accidental lack does makes the bosom turn fonder.
"It's ARRIVED with lone 40 years delayed," 1 instrumentality tweeted, portion different said: "HAPPY VOYAGE DAY!!!"
Another commentator wrote: "It's nary popular classic, but it has immoderate beauteous ABBA flourishes. The voices are conscionable beauteous - Benny & Björn person deliberately avoided utilizing modern overly produced vocals, but immoderate of the lyrics are twee. However, it's polished, inoffensive and a grower. A fitting last farewell."
Another instrumentality added connected Twitter: "The astir singular happening astir Voyage is that it's caller ABBA that's inactive perfectly ABBA aft each these years, but you haven't heard it a 1000 times yet."
Among euphony critics, however, sentiment was much divided.
Awarding the grounds 5 stars, the UK's The Independent described the task arsenic "a triumphant medium awash with ABBA's gung-ho uncoolness" that "delivers each the classical ABBA flavours."
According to Pitchfork's Ben Cardew, the medium falls "between the lure of nostalgia and the propulsion of the contiguous day."
He wrote: "Voyage is the uncommon post-reformation medium to physique upon the band's bequest without abandoning what we loved astir their classical records successful the archetypal place. That makes Voyage a amazingly indispensable travel into the contiguous from a set who could person coasted connected the lukewarm fumes of adulation advertisement infinitum."
Writing for the UK's Telegraph, Neil McCormick said "ABBA: Voyage" was a "gentle OAP cruise astir the backwaters of ABBA's reputation."
He added that portion Fältskog and Lyngstad "can inactive clasp a tune," Andersson and Ulvaeus "have not mislaid their quality to trade a flowing melody adorned with glittering hooks."
But successful a two-star reappraisal headlined "No convey you for the music," the Guardian's Jude Rogers described ABBA's ninth medium arsenic a "disappointment" that "prefers to languish successful often bafflingly retrograde settings."
"Rather than reflecting poignantly connected the past, overmuch of the remainder of Voyage feels terminally stuck there," she wrote, earlier branding "Little Things", a Christmas song, a "big transgression against sense, sentimentality and sequencing."
The Sydney Morning Herald's Barry Divola was likewise brutal successful his assessment, writing: "The atrocious quality is that there's a clump of utter schlock here," and giving the medium 2.5 stars.
Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield, connected the different hand, declared: "This medium would beryllium a one-of-a-kind historical lawsuit adjacent if the songs blew -- but it's vintage ABBA, connected par with their classical 1970s run. It evokes the days erstwhile the Norse gods ruled the radio, combining 2 of the Seventies' hottest trends: heartbreak and sequin-studded pantsuits."
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