Wednesday, June 24, 2009

It's Not Quite An ABBA Reunion, But I'll Take It!

My obsession with ABBA is pretty heavy. I own quite a few albums on vinyl (and if any one really loves me, they could buy me The Albums boxset for Christmas/birthday/just cuz) ABBA Gold is always on tap in the car and I just bought Benny & Bjorn's Broadway masterpiece Chess with a cast including Josh Groban and Idina Menzel. It's pretty fierce, y'all.

But I have resigned myself to the fact that ABBA will never reunite. There is some drama there, young'ns. But, the various members of the Swedish pop band have kept busy in the meantime, Agnetha and Anni-Frid have put out solo albums and Benny and Bjorn has worked together as songwriters, and as producers of Mamma Mia!

But, that's not all! Recently the male half of ABBA have been writing songs and Benny has been working with his own band, Benny Anderssons Orkester. They have rewritten some songs in English and plan to release an album as The Benny Andersson Band, with vocals by Helen Sjoholm. The lead single, and title track, is "Story Of A Heart" and guess what? ZOMG! It sounds like a new ABBA track! Yes, that is a wet spot on the floor from when I wet myself with excitement. Don't judge.

Helen's vocals are slightly thinner than Agnetha or Anni-Frid, and she does a little more 'ad-libs' at the end than the ladies of ABBA ever did. But that Swedish accent just takes you to an ABBA place, even if the perfect song writing and killer chorus doesn't. Seriously, I have not been this excited about a new song in days. Listen:

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