Review: ABBA - I Still Have Faith in You

Due to my age, I never really got into ABBA. While I appreciate many other 80s artists, ABBA never really clicked with me. I love Dancing Queen, but I have no other songs of theirs in my playlist. Thus, this return of ABBA is the first time I am checking them out fully.

Songs like I Still Have Faith in You really rely on fan nostalgia. From the concert footage to the slow tempo, you can tell who the target audience is for this track. Thus, it is slightly less ambitious than Don't Shut Me Down. Nonetheless, I Still Have Faith in You is a stronger example of this style.

Notably, the production, vocal hooks, processing, and mixing are noticeably still of the '80s. I don't mean this as in '80s revival, the song is recorded as it would be in the 80s. Normally, this would not work well, and I would title it as dated. However, over here, it works strongly, fitting with the sentimental, nostalgic, sound.

The instrumental is lush and well-built. While retro, it has a certain timeless elegance that would not sound too dated any era after Haydn. Nonetheless, the song picks up soon, with both rock guitars straight from the '80s supported by drums. Rather than build tempo with such a drum, the percussion helps build a strut, setting an arena-ready sound.

Productional flourishes, such as flutes and synths, help build the atmosphere. Every songwriting decision is clever, helping continue the song's story.

Of course, all of this would be for naught without a strong vocal performance. Anni-Frig and Agnetha are at arguably their best here, tackling each hook with a graceful elegance, yet the emotional tenacity required for such a track.

From the emotional lyrics to the strong performance, I Still Have Faith in You is certainly driven by fan nostalgia. Nevertheless, as a song, it is incredibly well written, with enough peaks and valleys for it to be memorable. If the rest of the album is this good, I stand as strongly excited.

Rating: 8.75/10

Image Source: Contoh Kumplan