"YES radiohead is great, yes the smashing pumpkins are great.. but to compare Kent to either one of those bands, or any other band is a disgrace. You can't see Kent as yet another "radiohead" or another european pop band. Simply put, they are in a league of thier own and it would be unfair to compare them to anyone else. It is also a discrace to say they are just "another trendy american pop band" nothing could be further from the truth! there is a reason they don't get any airplay in america, they are to good. ISOLA is a great album with overwhelming emotion that you can feel through his voice, every song has meaning and feelings. If you want an album that you can honestly feel good about spending your money on this is the one. Also, be on the lookout for thier newest release called "Hagnesta Hill" this is another great album that we can only hope will be released in English."
Just when I thought the Swedish music scene was dead...
* bea * | Stockholm, Sweden | 12/22/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The CD-cover with the aeroplane showed up and became a musical master piece, a classic album in every Swedes record-collection. When I look back at kents old albums I cant find any similarities compared to Isola which raise the group to what I call perfection. Then when you thought kent had reached perfection at the most limited kent -rate of what a classified album should sound like, they did it again... Trust me, the next album is such a wonderful musical journey that makes Isola look like a small dot on the Italian map. With a big smile on my face I'm happy but still surprised that kent continues to reach new heights and develop into one of the Swedish bands I'm most proud of and kent will always be by my side in my head phones when I want to listen to high quality music.Summary: Isola is a timeless album. The music is very melancholic with new refreshing sounds such as the lyrics which is refined to me as the most beautiful ones ever written in the Swedish language, but it's significant to remember that there is really a huge difference between the English and Swedish lyrics so I can't admit that I adore the English version as much as the Swedish one, although the translation turned out to remain very kentish ; - ) Kräm on kentare around the world !"
How did this go unnoticed?
S. K. Zimmerman | Issaquah, WA United States | 04/15/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Largely ignored in the USA (except for some college radio stations), Kent's album Isola is, five years after its release, still one of the best cd's I've ever heard. There aren't many cd's that have been made in the last ten years that make you feel like you've rediscoverd music...that there's still something beautiful being created out there. Belle & Sebastian's "If You're Feeling Sinister" and Bright Eye's last two albums have also had that kind of effect on me. Kent's sound is both sonic and ethereal with lyrics that are surprisingly good, especially considering that the English version is translated from Swedish and still comes across with more intelligence and relevance than 90% of american musicians. Curiously, Kent's follow-up to Isola, entitled Hagnesta Hill, sounds older and less mature...though there are many tracks that make the album worth buying. Isola really is worth every penny...if only to discover that music can transcend and still rock these days."
Defintly in my top 2!
dsprt | Saint Rose, Louisiana United States | 09/05/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"this album...this band...this music... I don't know where to start. When I first heard of Kent from a record exec friend of mine I thought they would be yet another radiohead wannabe but when I got the album and listened to it I was delighted that I was wrong. To compare them to bands like Oasis and The Verve would almost be a sin...don't get me wrong...I like those bands but Kent has something that those bands can't offer. I don't know if it's writting ability or an overabundance of creativity that they are blessed with but they stand out from the crowd like no other band today. I'm glad they don't get any radio play in the states for 2 reasons...1...the average U.S. radio listener isn't ready for music like this...2...if U.S. dj's got a hold of this and actually understood how profound this album is they would play it out in no time. Please...do yourself a favor and buy this album...don't waste any time listening to samples...just buy it!"
A Sly Gem that went Unnoticed
Arnold Layne | Oakville, On | 01/26/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I have often found myself bored and cynical with new music because 95% of it is generic. Once in a while a special album comes along and completely changes my faith. Radioheads "Ok Computer", Blurs "Parklife", the self titled Stone Roses and recently Kent "Isola".The magic of this album comes from its ability to sooth the wounds inside. Its the kind of rare occurence that comes around once in a while, just when you thought things could not get any worse. It completely restores faith in new music, and keeps us wanting more. Isola has almost too much good material, ranging from, dare I say it, mainstream radio tendencies (If you were here, Bianca) which are infectuous songs that should deserve plenty of attention, but never did in North America. "Before it all Ends" is an ecclectic masterpiece that wholeheartedly consumes the listener into a black hole of emotion. One phrase to sum up Isola: A large monumental sound. The finale "747" breaks into a 5 minute frenzy of guitar feedback and heartpounding drums...yet Kent has the ablity to make it all so gentle. Each song has unrealized potential. There is a tension present, the listener can sense a cresendo of sound building, building, and exploding shards of sonic guitars, lyrics, and then the next song begins nice and quiet again. Now parallel that to a roller coaster. There are the giant rises, free falls, and when the ride is finished we all want more.The only disadvantage Kent has is the lack of exposure to the masses. Perhaps it is better this way because something this rare and special should belong in the archives of great albums...not as a forgotten commodity as something remembered in Billboard with Mariah Carey et al."