Customer Reviews

Hagnesta Hill

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

After listening to the greatness that is "Isola" (the album released prior to this one), I wasn't sure how Kent could improve on their art. I'm happy to say that they found a way. "Hagnetsa Hill" is the perfect 'next step' after "Isola". It shows an evolution in direction yet a strong foundation in everything that makes Kent so good. This album showcases Kents ability to use synths to enhance their already great pop rock music. Key songs are "The King is Dead", "Kevlar Soul", and my favorite, "Rollercoaster". I haven't yet heard the Swedish language version of this album, but must say that in my opinion, being able to understand the lyrics make them more enjoyable.

I had never heard of Kent when I walked into my local independent music store about a month ago. I heard great music playing over the speakers and was increasingly amazed at how each track sounded excellent and stood on its own... asked who was playing and was shown this album. A bit pricier than the mass produced stuff out there but far superior... I'm not into "indie rock" (at all), but "Hagnesta Hill" has not left my CD player in a week. This is old-school alternative rock; the antidote to the mediocrity choking the American airwaves these days. Definitely the best album I've purchased this year.

This IS the real kent. Hagnesta Hill is a fine follow up to the wonderful Isola. The album opener, the king is dead, starts things off with their form of euro-rock with a splash of glam. Things then kick into high gear with the energetic Revolt III & Music Non Stop (my two fave tracks). The rest of the album carries on in fine fashion - there is the epic-sounding Stop Me June & funk-influenced Just Like Money (I didnt think I would ever say that about Kent, but they pull it off well) to mix their sound up just a bit. And just as the album starts off like with a roar, the end of the journey goes to the sound of melacholy. While there are many comparisons between Kent & other bands in the genre, they definitely have a sound which sets them apart from the flock.

This is a great album by Kent, the lyrics is poetry. You should listen to it in swedish!

The impossability of following up the brilliant "Isola" makes this an almost mediocre album, but not quite. "The king is dead" and "Music non stop" puts me in the same mood as Kent have done so many times before. There is no reason not to buy this one unless you expect it to be better than the previous album. Enjoy!

If melodic pop-rock is your thing you could do alot worse, but even if this Swedish group's album is consistent, the quality rarely rises above head-boppingly derivative. Think Sigur Ros if they sounded like early Radiohead and you'll have a fair idea of what to expect.

I was walking about, a tourist on a summer Stockholm day near Gamla Stan in a shopping area in a record store when I first heard Kent. I immediately purchased five cd's by them. Of the one's I purchased, I find myself listening to Hagnesta Hill often.

If you like atmospheric, melancholic rock bands, Kent is very good. They remind me a lot of England's "House of Love" but they are very unique.

They have a very detached emotional vulnerability in their lyrics that is very beautiful to listen to because it reminds the listener that other's have felt the way. Lines like, the line from Stop Me June (Little Ego), "You Just have to let me go..." are poignant.

The pensive break-up song lyrics of Quiet Heart goes right to the point but with unusual and refreshingly creative lyrics. Listening to their lyrical expression is like listening to words used as a magic. You never know where the expression is going to take you. Like in quiet heart, "There was time when I was lost in myself, you took my hand became my guide; there was a time, you needed my help, I guess my ego made me blind..."

There's a confessional sort of guilt that any man can identify with in lyrics like this.

The King is Dead is very uplifting and expressive; Kevlar Soul reminds me of the later Beatles sound or even ELO.

But as a whole, there is a depth of emotion in their sound, melodies, and lyrics that makes them worth having in your collection.