Kent - "If You Were Here"

I'm not sure if I have written about Kent before, but their album Isola was simply a masterpiece. They are yet another Swedish group I adore. Between my separate loves for Salt, Whale, and Kent, I may as well declare it my favourite country for music, period. I discovered Kent's Isola album much the same way I found most music in my youth - at Rhino Records in Claremont, CA. But this was a unique case, in which I actually won a contest! Isola was the grand prize in a drawing. I had never heard of Kent, but enjoyed cds, so I entered. I'm not really sure if anyone else did, but I was very glad to have won once I was able to sit down and listen to my prize.Kent's Isola is at times stark and dreary and at others, light and bubbly. It is an expression of pure emotion compressed into a matter of minutes. The song "If You Were Here" is one of my favourites because of its trance-like rhythms, almost classical elements, and sheer desperation. Anyone who has ever had a long-distance love affair or a partner with an opposite schedule can surely find deeper meaning in the words of this one. And, I love the fact that there is a song called "Elvis" on this disc. Especially because of my proximity to Memphis.