KENT B-SIDOR 95-00 COMPILATION DOUBLE ALBUM RCA, BMG RELEASE: NOVEMBER 29, 2000 REVIEW: DECEMBER 15, 2000

Kent have always been generous with including bonus tracks on their singles. Here they are, all collected, together with two new songs and two re-recordings of the best tracks on the record.
Like Oasis, The Cure and Depeche Mode, Kent put effort into their B-sides. Still, only a few tracks on this record ("En helt ny karriär" and maybe "Utan dina andetag") are good enough to deserve a place on Kent's proper albums. Curiously enough, the older B-sides are better than the more recent ones.
You must remember that Kent is a band that really polishes its sound in the studio. Everything is planned to perfection on the albums, so no wonder they like to play around with the bonus tracks. Some bands produce wonderful songs under playful circumstances, but Kent merely make songs that are a little less brilliant than usual. So if you're after the real Kent experience, this is the wrong record to get. Try "Hagnesta Hill" instead, this is more like collectors stuff.
One big reason to get this one though, is the hidden track. Perhaps it's time for Kent to let Sami Sirviö, Markus Mustonen and Harri Mänty grab the mike and start making some serious Finnish tango for the next album…

MATTIAS HUSS