30 April 2018

Kent "Tigerdrottningen" (2014)

Tigerdrottningen
release date: Apr. 30, 2014
format: 2 lp vinyl (gatefold) / cd (digipak)
[album rate 4 / 5] [4,08]
producer: Kent with Daniel Alexander & Stefan Boman
label: Sonet / Universal - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Mirage" (4 / 5) - 3. "Skogarna" (4 / 5) - 4. "La belle epoque" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "Svart snö" (4 / 5) - 7. "Innan himlen faller ner" - 9. "Godhet (feat. Beatrice Eli)" (4 / 5) - 11. "Den andra sidan" (4 / 5)

11th studio album by Kent. The album comes two years after Jag är inte rädd för mörkret (2012) and the band's single release "Ingen kunde röra oss" (Dec. 2012), which wasn't included on any albums.
"La belle epoque" was released as the single to promote the album, and had it's release in March, but already after the second listen I found that other tracks are on the same high level and I'm almost certain that the album is one of their better ones, which really is an achievement. I think, it betters the 2012 release by having higher lows and for being more of its own. The style is unmistakably Kent and they haven't come that far since Röd (2009) but they still add new details to their sound, and they have found a room of dynamic beauty within their melancholic synthpop. There's a fine balance of pure pop / rock tracks and simple ballad-like compositions - all held together by a strict rhythm section of drums, bass and synths. And then there's always Joakim Berg... Once again, he comes up with fine lyrics that establish the single songs like haunting ceremonial statements. The band has used a known formula of theirs by putting energetic sing-a-long tracks scattered around the album in the right places surrounded by a few beautiful quiet ballads. This time the great ballads are "Svart snö" (a track with a dream pop sound and reminiscences of Cocteau Twins thanks to Beatrice Eli's backing vocals), "Godhet (feat. Beatrice Eli)" and "Den andra sidan".
I haven't had the album for more than a week, and still feel reluctant to rate it, but I feel and know that it's more than just good, and that I will play it a lot more. The best Nordic pop / rock band did it again, and no one comes close to challenging their position.

EDIT, May 28, 2014: I have now listened to the album enough to say it's really great and I find it a clear improvement to the band's 2012 album, which wasn't bad but in a way contained too much Kent-reproduction. This album is clearly something new despite being a "typical" Kent studio release. The production sound is truly beautiful but it takes good speakers or headphones to fully grasp that. For now, this is not only the best album in 2014 but it's up there among the absolute best of Kent studio albums.

2014 Favourite releases: 1. Ukendt Kunstner Forbandede ungdom - 2. Kent Tigerdrottningen - 3. Sharon Van Etten Are We There


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