Abba
The Visitors

THE REVIEW

"I hear the doorbell ring and suddenly the panic takes me
 The sound so ominously tearing through the silence
 I cannot move, I'm standing
 Numb and frozen
 Among the things I love so dearly
 The books, the paintings and the furniture
 Help me"

            "The Visitors (Crackin' up)"

"The Visitors" is the last chapter on LP from the Swedish supergroup, released on November 30, 1981, and it immediately presents itself as something very different from their previous works. First of all, it's worth noting that the lighthearted lyrics give way to more engaged lyrical solutions, the music is less carefree, at times dark and nervous, distinguished by more claustrophobic arrangements with tight rhythms and dominant synth textures. It's also worth remembering that the two couples, Agnetha-Bjorn and Frida-Benny, were now separated, and the themes derived from the end of their marriages are extensively covered in many tracks.

The opening features mysterious and icy electronic sounds that introduce the title track. "The Visitors" acts a bit as the manifesto of the work, it talks about revolutionaries plotting against the government, there are references to the political situations of the Soviet bloc, leading to the group's censorship in the USSR and many Eastern European countries. The rhythm is tight, a complex sound weave, of which Frida's distorted singing stands out, more or less openly referencing Lennon's in "Tomorrow Never Knows", defining the first part that then opens into an acceleration in the refrain where Agnetha's counter-choruses are added for a very particular effect, an opening towards the very grandiloquent synth part breaks everything and returns to the initial melodic line. A very complex and interesting track that showcases the compositional talent of the Andersson-Ulvaeus duo. It is followed by "Head Over Heels" sung by Faltskog, a simpler song than the previous one but successful and well integrated into the album. With "When All Is Said And Done" ABBA creates a powerful track, opened by delicate acoustic guitar arpeggios and vocals by Frida and Agnetha, then exploding into a two-voice ride where the sharp drum beats dictate the rhythm, with the splendid sound effect created in the chorus where the two singers' voices unite for an enveloping blend to note. The drum marking the rhythm of a military march opens "Soldiers"; a political song with an interesting electric guitar phrasing in the background, with Agnetha's lead vocals, the opening of the refrain is a gem of vocal and sounds, "Soldiers write the songs that soldiers sing The songs that you and I don’t sing Let’s not look the other way Taking a chance ‘Cause if the bugler starts to play We too must dance", one of the best tracks by the Swedish group. Benny and Bjorn have always loved musicals and wanted to write one (they would do it right after ABBA's end), listening to "I Let The Music Play" is a pleasant surprise, a stunning track where Frida's warm voice marries the crystal-clear and perfect music, chilling refrain and the meeting with Agnetha's voice for an immense vocal background play. "One Of Us" and "Slipping Through My Fingers" deal with personal themes, while "Two For The Price Of One" is instead a little gem sung by Bjorn with a cheerful big band finale that's very fun.

In the end, the judgment on "The Visitors" is positive; ABBA leaves with an album that demonstrates the maturity achieved beyond commercial success, finding a group with an enormous musical knowledge, remarkable compositional abilities, and the desire to seek song perfection that always amazes. Therefore, if you want something pleasant yet intriguing, this LP may be a right choice.