I like to imagine that if Fleet Foxes had two younger sisters who spent summers in the country with their Auntie Neko Case, they would sound like First Aid Kit. Of course, no such familial ties exist, but musical ties certainly do.
Most obviously: harmony. Johanna and Klara Söderberg spend much of “The Lion’s Roar” harmonizing wonderfully through verse, chorus and bridge. The bright tonality and rich quality of their vocals are the true backbone of this album. Though any of the ten songs on “The Lion’s Roar” could back this point up, “To a Poet”, a track punctuated by sporadic and particularly beautiful harmonies, really shows Johanna and Klara’s cohesion as vocalists, while “New Year’s Eve” sees them at their echoing, raging best.
Even though “The Lion’s Roar” is framed by hints of classic American country music, the Swedish duo manages to evade any hokeyness. “Emmylou”, a track that directly references June Carter, Johnny Cash, Graham Parsons, and Emmylou Harris, becomes a sweet love-song about innocently falling in love. I find it slightly funny to hear the lyrics, “Stockholm’s cold/But I’ve been told/I was born to endure this kind of weather,” in a song that would sound at home on a Classic Country radio station. However, First Aid Kit never feels unauthentic about their music. “King of the World” sounds like a hoe-down with accompanying handclaps, participation from Bright Eye’s Connor Oberst, and a wailing fiddle. First Aid Kit displays an obvious interest in writing country music but only within the confines of the sound they’ve spent the last few years establishing.
Also, First Aid Kit touches on a few thematic elements that actually resonate throughout the album. It’s always easier to get enveloped in an album when the songs work together or have some continuing thread, and that’s the case on “The Lion’s Roar”. First Aid Kit has a few love songs, both positive (“Emmylou”) and negative (“Blue”) experiences, and even a range in between: “This Old Routine” tells the story of a loved one going to war. Even if First Aid Kit come off sounding a little young at times, these tunes carry universal messages that should transcend age.
Clearly this album is worth the time of any fan of alternative country, but this beautiful songwriting really needs to be heard by fans of all genres. The lyrics are thoughtful without excess, and they’re refreshingly memorable and clear at a time when fuzzy lo-fi bands let their words sink into the mix. “The Lion’s Roar” is a uniquely warm and well developed album, and you should definitely check it out. Stream the album below.
