Like a lot of people my first encounter with First Aid Kit was on Youtube where they covered Fleet Foxes Tiger Mountain Peasant Song. Honestly, at the time I watched their video I liked it but with so many folksy Indie acts out already established and so many new ones on the horizon I visited the video once or twice more before moving on. Don’t blame me, blame the world we live in which is comprised of information overload. Bands no longer have to make a name for themselves by hitting the road and putting their all into albums no one will praise until long after they’ve been around for years, if that.

When FAK’s latest album “The Lion’s Roar” landed in my work pile I had vague recollections of their Youtube video. I decided to pop it in my car stereo while I made my way across town for errands. When the title track popped on the first thing I thought was that the duo were following along the lines of acts like Fleet Foxes (of course) and The Avett Brothers. The track had a very retro feel to it, I want to say maybe Jefferson Airplane, but at the same time played along the folk scene currently popular. It’s a fantastic song but not convincing that we were headed in a direction I hadn’t already covered with other albums from like minded performers.  

If I needed convincing that First Aid Kit was more then just amazing all I needed to hear was the second track off the album titled Emmylou. Its twangy country guitar and beautiful vocal harmony, which I’ll be honest is consistent on the entirety of the album, turned this love song into the albums anthem track for me. What? I’m a hopeless romantic and this one hit me head on. Just a beautiful track in my opinion capturing the passion of country pop music and a great love song.

It goes without saying that Johanna and Klara Söderberg were blessed with absolutely gorgeous voices and the discipline and talent to hone them into amazing instruments that make this entire album absolutely a joy to listen to. Instrumentally the album is also spot on. Mixing folk with country and pop and using it to envelope their harmony as vocalists is, in my opinion, the complete package. You can listen to this on a car ride, relaxing in a comfortable chair, just about anywhere. Basically I love the album and I highly suggest checking it out to anyone that simply loves great music. As always final judgment is yours. Enjoy.