Advertisement
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)