They sing in Swedish, but don't let that put you off
Thaddeus Wert | Nashville, TN USA | 01/17/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Kent is a group from Sweden that, when they released their first cd in 1995, owed a huge stylistic debt to Radiohead (but in the mid-90's what self-respecting "alternative" band didn't owe something to Radiohead?). As they matured, they just got better and better. Isola, their excellent third album, was released in an English version, but not much buzz happened. I discovered them while browsing in a used cd store, and Du & Jag Döden was playing in the background (FWIW: the title means "You & I Death, and the actual disc is solid black. I've never seen a cd that wasn't silver on the playing side.) I was floored with how good it was, even though I couldn't understand a word of what Joakim Berg was singing. Since then, I've tried to pick up everything they've released, which isn't always easy, because they have pretty much written off the US market. Every few months I Google "Kent Sweden music" to see if anything new is out. Their latest album, Röd is a stunner. It has a dubious start with a short dirge-like hymn sung raggedly by what sounds like a small group of churchgoers, but Kent soon hit their stride on the second track, "Taxmannen" - a brilliant slab of relentless electronica. Each song flows seamlessly into the next, making for a beautiful listening experience. Kent recorded most of the album at Berlin's Hansa Studios - the same location where Bowie's Low and Heroes, as well as Depeche Mode's Some Great Reward were made, so it has a fine pedigree. Kent has moved steadily away from guitar-based music into more electronic explorations, but Berg remains one of the most talented tunesmiths in any language. It's hard to explain, but even though I have no idea what the songs are about, they are incredibly moving to listen to."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1