Amelia’s Magazine | Album Review: First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar

First Aid Kit by Sarah Ryan
First Aid Kit by Sarah Ryan.

Out today: the beautiful new album from Swedish sisters First Aid Kit. Every tune is a wonder… starting with first single The Lion’s Roar, a plaintive ode to the moon, cowardice, love and life.

First-aid-kit-the-lions-roar-packshot
Johanna takes lead vocals in this perfect example of First Aid Kit‘s own particular blend of modern country folk. Then comes current single Emmylou, a song dominated by the gently pulsing pedal guitar in homage to their country heros. Klara takes on a whole verse, showcasing a newly confident voice that is full of sweet soul. Things take a more bittersweet turn with In The Hearts Of Men, whilst Blue opens with a chirpy glockenspiel that belies a tale of doubt, as do the glorious harmonies of To A Poet. The bigger sound showcased on this second album is perfected in I Found A Way, which features a backdrop of lush orchestration. The saddest of themes are given the slow pace of Dance To Another Tune, whilst the wonderful Wolf drives onward with a healthy beat and a jaunty singing style that marks it out as a possible next single. New Year’s Eve returns to more familiar acoustic territory – just Johanna‘s soaring vocals and a strummed zither.

First Aid Kit by Becca Thorne
First Aid Kit by Becca Thorne.

The album finishes on the upbeat (it’s all relative in the Söderberg‘s world!) King Of The World, which features a guest vocal from their hero Bright Eyes. It’s clear that these past two years on the road have heavily influenced The Lion’s Roar; inspiring and enriching these sisters’ extraordinary talents that put the over-produced auto-tuned pap that dominates our airwaves to shame. And the thing is, the Söderberg sisters are even better in the flesh, so if you have never seen them live make sure you do when they next swing by – you’re in for a real treat.

First Aid Kit by Hannah Lewis
First Aid Kit – Emmylou by Hannah Lewis.

Make sure you read my recent interview with First Aid Kit, in which Klara describes the making of and inspiration behind the new album. The Lion’s Roar is released today on Wichita Recordings.

First aid kit - emmylou by EdieOP
First Aid Kit – Emmylou by EdieOP.

Categories ,Becca Thorne, ,Blue, ,Bright Eyes, ,Conor Oberst, ,country, ,Dance To Another Tune, ,Edie Owczarek-Palfreyman, ,EdieOP, ,Emmylou, ,First Aid Kit, ,folk, ,Hannah Lewis, ,Harmonies, ,I Found A Way, ,In The Hearts Of Men, ,Johanna Söderberg, ,King Of The World, ,Klara Söderberg, ,Mike Moggis, ,review, ,Sarah Ryan, ,Swedish, ,The Lion’s Roar, ,To A Poet, ,Track by Track, ,Wichita Recordings, ,wolf

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