When you think about Sweden, rock ‘n’ roll isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, but this band could change that. Kent is a rock band whose sound at times offers the illusion that Billy Corgan is sitting in on vocals for Radiohead. While their mix of pop and psychedelia is captivating, what makes this band so great is their beautiful music and golden lyrics. If someone played the song “Lifesaver” and then asked you who performed it, you would undoubtedly answer ‘Radiohead’. However, what truly matters is that the song is beautiful. Did the Beatles not borrow from Buddy Holly as did Nirvana from the Pixies?
“If You Were Here” is wonderfully upbeat, “Thing She Said” is entrancing, and “Unprofessional” is a radio-friendly wonderment. “Celsius”, “Bianca”, and “Velvet” continue to amaze you. The fantastic “Elvis” leads you to wonder if it is a dedication to the king or an attempt to exorcise his ghost. “And the king’s in my mind/sings his song he’s amazing/I’ve been dreaming of Elvis all my life”. The best song on the album, “owc”, boasts a brilliant arrangement which soars in and out of piano and strings. Words can’t express my appreciation for this song.
After just a few days of listening to Isola, the words will come to you like you’ve been a fan for years. We’ll just have to wait and see whether the world will adopt Kent or simply dismiss them as mere clones. The latter would be a mistake.
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