Search - Kent :: Hagnesta Hill

A new direction for Kent

Sara | Boston, MA, USA | 08/26/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Kent is a band from Sweden which two years ago, released their English language debut, "Isola" to those who were not exactly familiar with their Swedish. Singer Joakim Berg's voice reminded one of either the Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan (without the whine) or even Thom Yorke at some points. Their sound was lush, sometimes dark, and reminescent of the barren Scandinavian landscape at winter."Hangesta Hill" is an excellent follow-up, following the band's progression into a more melodic, sensitive side. You have "The King Is Dead" and "Revolt III", reminiscent of some of the tracks on "Isola", but the band even expands into further territory, with the discoey backbeat of the first single "Music Non Stop" and "Just Like Money". The melodic and more sensitive sides are shown in "Stop Me June (Little Ego)" and "Rollercoaster". Although "Hagnesta Hill" leaves some Kent fans disappointed (yearning for more of the rock that "Isola" showcased), the album tends to grow on you. Surely "Hagnesta Hill" will attract new fans and is one of the releases this year worth giving a listen."

Nordic atmosphere

M. W. Van Wegen | Bant, The Netherlands | 07/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not fully sure whether the non-Europeans are able to understand this review, especially when I mention the Nordic atmosphere which characterizes this album, Hagnesta Hill. The point is that you might not be aware of this so-called atmosphere.It's the sound of this cd, especially songs like Kevlar Soul, Stay With Me and Quite Heart. Kent are from Sweden and you can hear that. The singer sings a bit "Swenglish". But that doesn't give the album an unattractive tinge. This album reminds me of long winters, immeasurable forests and tundras covered with snow. Lots of songs have a melancholy sound, but others rock! The King Is Dead, Heavenly Junkies or Revolt III are filled with guitars! Anyway, I play this album mostly in autumn and winter. It's the sound, the atmosphere. Just try it, I would say."

Hangesta Hill or Isola - the mellow tracks

M. W. Van Wegen | 08/13/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This review assumes you've already own/listened to Isola, liked what you heard, and are wondering if it's worth paying the price to import Kent's newest album. I say yes, but let me warn you first:Kent's Isola had a lot of indie riffs and chord structures that you won't find in Hangesta Hill's assimilated pop-style (let me clarify that when I say pop I'm not talking about NSYNC or Backstreet Boys...more like the Oasis). One might be tempted to say that Kent sold-out for this album by going mainstream...but mainstream rarely sounds this good from song to song. If you take each song by itself, few stand out from the crowd and each would probably be considered "average radio music" on their own. Yet the fact that Kent filled an entire CD (13 tracks and over an hour of music) with these tunes without putting in "stinkers" or "fillers", makes this disc worth buying.In short, this CD may not be cutting edge music, but Kent did an excellent job of taking the pop/indie formula and creating 13 quality tracks after the math was finished. If you liked Isola, you won't be disappointed with Hangesta Hill."