If, by some fluke, Los Angeles-area DJ Bean hadn't heard Swedish quintet Kent's infectious single "If You Were Here" while he was vacationing in Scandinavia, he might never have had the opportunity to bring the song back to the States and plug it on his KROQ radio show. Such was the stroke of kismet that sparked RCA to rush the group's third album, Isola, into the American market. |

These, of course, are the types of flukes that launch careers. The band, who are playing weekly gigs in London in preparation for a European tour, take the fortuity in stride. "We'd already recorded the album in English," shrugs vocalist/guitarist Joakim Berg, who pulls double-duty as lyricist and primary translator of his words from their original Swedish version, "so why not release it?"

Isola boasts a melancholy and intricate collage of guitars and keyboards, while Berg's vocals take on a flute-like tone that floats just above the music. "OWC," in particular, stands out for its warm piano tones and multi-layered strings. Like many of the others, it's a tune that would be just as appropriate on a film soundtrack. Berg readily agrees, noting, "I wrote it after I saw the film Blade Runner, so that makes sense."

Somewhat reminiscent at times of R.E.M., the band's unique gift is its ability to blindside the listener with unexpected melodic turns. With each of Berg's bandmates -- Martin Skold, Sami Sirvio, Harri Manty and Markus Mustonen -- playing at least two instruments, the record is rich with layers of exquisite musicianship, yet manages not to fall prey to over-embellishment.

Such work has led to numerous Swedish Grammy Awards and platinum records. But it's been a long journey: Growing up in the small industrial town of Eskilstuna, Sweden, the group's employment choices were severely limited. "If you didn't work in a factory or play football, then [nobody] wanted you," says Berg. Huge rock fans, they chose the only logical escape. "We decided it would be cooler to be in a rock & roll band than to be just no one," he says matter-of-factly.

Wisely, they moved to Stockholm, where the Swedish music business is based. "We had a down period at first, so we just stuck with our collective company jobs to get money," recalls Berg, who was forced to complete his mandatory military service. "I tried so hard to get out of that, but [I couldn't], so I said that I didn't want to use guns." Instead, because Sweden is a socially minded country, he was assigned to "weapon-free duty" in a kindergarten. Ironically, bassist Skold found work at a record company, but couldn't sign his own band to the label because it would have been deemed unethical (he did, however, sign fellow Swedes the Cardigans, with whom Kent eventually toured).

So the band slogged on, dubbing themselves Kent ("It was a popular Swedish name in the Seventies," Berg says, "Now it makes us think of Kiss badges and denim jackets,") and eventually signing to RCA. They were so deep into their music that they barely recognized the first signs of their success. "After we did the first album [1995's Kent], we toured and then went practically from the tour bus back into the studio [to record 1996's Verkligen]," recalls Berg, "so we never had time to notice any difference. We had to read in the newspaper that the album was number one."

With Isola's release earlier this week, perhaps a subscription would be advisable to track their progress. And, this time, no flukes are necessary.

ADRIANNE STONE(September 17, 1998)