I must admit I wasn’t excessively excited about Swedish rock maestros Kent’s electro-flirt on their last effort ‘Tillbaka Till Samtiden’ (2007). Surprise probably had something to do with it, but either way it just didn’t resonate with me. I’ve listened to it again, and in retrospect it comes across as a transition album trying to bridge old Kent with their intended new. And it’s still not doing it for me.

On their eighth effort, ‘Röd’ (“Red”), they’ve again enrolled Danish producer Jon “Joshua” Schumann and together they have taken the electronic expression way beyond flirt, reducing the rock guitars to mere spice. This time around, however, they make it work wonderfully, because it’s followed all the way through (in new live favorite ‘Ensamheten’ we’re even talking full-on rave after a slow, acoustic start).

But it all kicks off with a psalm. ’18:29-4’, performed by the pensioners choir Tonalerna conducted by Martin Sköld’s dad, Yngve, and Martin behind the church organ, stands out like a sore thumb musically, but sets the lyrical scene for the album perfectly. Since they’re in Swedish I wont go into an in-depth analysis, but just say that Berg’s despondent lyrics on a Sweden (and world) where cynical individualism and inertia rules and solidarity and tolerance are things of the past are a poetic dead giveaway on his political persuasion.

Then follows a holy quintity (we’ll pretend that’s a real word) in biting disco duo ‘Taxmannen’ and ‘Krossa Alt’, painfully beautiful ‘Hjärta’, the majestic ‘Sjukhus’ and ‘Vals För Satan (Din Vän Pessimisten)’, another instant live hit with its elegantly thumping electro beat and singalong chorus. All equally brilliant and rich on the haunting, unavoidable Kent melancholy.

Written by Joakim “Jocke” Berg and Martin Sköld in New York and recorded mainly in the legendary Hansa Studio in Berlin, ‘Röd’ can put off some old fans, but it doesn’t look like anyone should expect a return to the classic Kent in the future. In an interview with the Swedish gay magazine QX the band state that: “We’re sick and tired of the typical male, wide legged rock and all it embodies.” The transition is complete, determined… And I’m really excited.

Genre: Rock/Electrorock
Who: Kent
Album: Röd
Label: Sony
Year: 2009
Country: Sweden
Language: Swedish

Recommended tracks:
Taxmannen – Krossa Allt – Hjärta – Sjukhus – Vals För Satan (Din Vän Pessimisten) – Ensamheten – Töntarna