Search - Kent :: Tillbaka Till Samtiden (Back to the Contemporary)

Kent switches gears flawlessly, where to next?

S. Schmid | Auburn, NY | 03/31/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a Kent fan since I happened to catch "747" on MTV2 late one night. It was like nothing I'd ever heard before, and now close to a decade later I'm still hooked.



I was anxiously awaiting this release as I'd felt that my music selection in general was growing stale. I was quite happy with the previous release of Du & Jag Doden but felt that without standouts like Palace & Main and Max 500 that it was just average, especially considering what Kent is capable of.



The first time I popped this CD in and went for a long drive on the backroads, I was absolutely stunned. The first 2 minutes of the opening track "Elefanter" had me extremely confused until all of the sudden it exploded and the rest of the CD never came down off that high. It seems like a first for a Kent album, but the entire CD seemed to flow as one giant 50-minute piece rather than track-by-track. It's extremely hard to pick favorites on this CD, but "Vy Från Ett Luftslott" is absolutely one of the best and I think a perfect blend of old and new style Kent. I was also quite taken back by "Generation Ex" which brings an epic sound reminiscient of the end track of Du & Jag Doden (Mannen I Den Vita Hatten).



Overall, an absolutely fantastic effort that transcends any language barriers and doesn't have a single weak song. Personally I think it's best enjoyed beginning to end with no interruptions, but I'd urge everyone to just listen and find out for yourself."

Let it sink in

Snorre Smari Mathiesen | Norway | 11/10/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Tillbaka Till Samtiden" - Back to Contemporary. Time is the lasting subject of Kent's most recent album, and as to be expected, it is the frustration which the clock often provokes through that is covered here. Something which suits my mind very well these days, but I won't dwell on that.



When I put this disc in the player for the first time, naturally I was almost in stitches with high expectations. I regard Kent's previous release "Du & Jag, Döden" as a masterpiece, a stunning metaphor on death whose greatness I immediately recognized. It was inevitable that my hopes were affected by this previous effort.



In this respect, I was astonished at first, to say the least, in fact a tad disappointed. I did not expect the synth-crafted style which was made apparent on the very first track "Elefanter," and which escalated throughout the running-time with few exceptions. This was solid enough, I thought afterwards, but Kent have done so much better. I remember being convinced that this was the beginning of the end; the band obviously had more to offer, but I felt rather insecure as to how much that "more" really was. The only song that stroke me as truly extraordinary was the eighth track "Våga Vara Rädd," which is far lighter in tone (but not so much in lyrics!) than the other songs here.



I kept listening to the album, though, determined to give the new sound a fair try. The next day I discovered other tracks, like the energic "Ingenting" and, above anything, the dark beauty of "Columbus." What can I say? Three days later, I wanted to kick myself in the middle of my "daily duties" for not realizing the incomparable greatness of this album at first listening. I did hardly listen to anything else for two months, yet not a single track is outworn to me. Like their previous album, but on a different basis, "Tillbaka Till Samtiden" is a masterpiece, an exasperated cry for help in the midst of our mechanical age. This might sound too dark for some tastes, but the metaphors of death and despair are provided within such undisguised beauty that every song feels paradoxically comforting at the same time. The lyrics express much the same feelings, but the music is able to deliver these seen from various states of mind; some are desperate ("Berlin," "LSD, Någon," "Generation Ex," "Vid Din Sida"), others more quiet and indeterminable ("Columbus," "Sömnen"), while a couple provide energic irony ("Ingenting," "Våga Vara Rädd"). The final track "Ensammast i Sverige" possesses a cunning aura of wisdom, as though the narrator has come at peace with the hopelessness of our situation.



Please don't ask me to pick a particular favorite among these jewels; it would be easier to say which I listen to the least. I suspect this is largely due to the high degree of continuity provided on this album, which is so remarkable that, in Kent's history, it is equalled only by "D&JD." Every track seems to work best in context to one another, flowing itself into one burning statement. I say this to emphasize that this album is produced by a band with clear motivations; but every single track is made justice on its own as well. There are a couple of tracks I don't care for that much, but something would be amiss without them; I've always thought that Kent has a very high lowest level, and these two less interesting tracks here are not close to that description (I won't bother to tell which tracks I'm talking about, as others regard them as favorites).



Another reviewer expressed puzzlement in the absence of guitars on this album, compared to Kent's previous efforts. Their guitarist leaving the band in the midst of production probably had something to do with it. However, vocalist Joakim Berg has stated that they decided to diminish the dominance of guitars and drums on this album from the beginning, as these instruments did such a huge impact on "D&JD," and their earlier stuff for that matter. It is not similar to any of their prior releases, that's right, but one of Kent's major strengths, to me, is their ability to transform themselves into something new each time, and still remain themselves one hundred percent.



As I write this, "Tillbaka Till Samtiden" has celebrated only its first anniversary, yet I don't feel too bold when I claim that it is likely to remain timeless; and with that I don't mean out of fashion (those of you able to understand the lyrics of "Berlin" know what I'm talking about). I'm still astonished, as I was when I first heard it; but needless to say, in a different manner. It is not the beginning of the end, but the beginning of something new. Rumors have it that Kent is already preparing a new release, and I can't say I'm worried.



Give it a try - or many if required - and then be sure to get the three singles released in connection to this album, "Ingenting," "Columbus," and "Generation Ex," which consist of one track each not available elsewhere."