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From the reflections of Blue, the influence of the Swedish sisters' dream producer Mike Mogis (best known for his work with Bright Eyes) becomes apparent. Still pared down but clearer, the sweet mimicking between bass and xylophone feel more ominous than decorative.
Johanna and Klara Sodenberg's close harmonies charm unaffectedly, pitched in the mix like the faint voices of songbirds echoing through a woodland scene. And, lyrically, there's a mix of gloom and lilt in the perfect order and proportion; in spite of Conor Oberst's involvement, there's no stagnation, no lack of positivity and certainly no halting moments of impenetrable self-reflection.
The voices gallingly cry "I go from nowhere to nowhere / Searching for the key" on Dance to Another Tune, the most mournful of The Lion's Roar's 10 songs. Written like a series of proverbs, it has the unique gift of being accessible and extravagant. First Aid Kit are now a band rather than a duo, and the gorgeous harmonies benefit from a more serious direction and sometimes sweeping orchestration.
First Aid Kit's journey into the hillbilly backwoods is smoother than their rickety debut album, 2010’s The Big Black & Blue, and comes with the benefit of greater knowledge. This set swells into a full assembly of Americana, peaking at name-dropper Emmylou – the delightful warmth of this song can be attributed to the sisters' affections for the genre, even down to the accents. The lyrics "I'll be your Emmylou and I'll be your June / And you'll be my Gram and your Johnny too," while simple, act as a gently vigorous call-to-arms.
The echo of pedal steel and mariachi horns on King of the World is a far cry from First Aid Kit's cover of Fleet Foxes’ Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, which first appeared on YouTube in 2008. The full band which appears on The Lion's Roar enjoys the rare achievement of being saccharine-free, and serves to highlight the sisters' brilliant captured-on-tape chemistry.
As consolation anthems go, it's difficult to imagine anyone topping this collection in 2012. Sat neatly between Laura Marling's trauma, Alessi's Ark's florid scenes and Joni Mitchell's spot-lit thoughts, First Aid Kit's second album lines them up as the band most likely to cross over into the big time.
--Natalie Shaw
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Customer Reviews
On their latest album "The Lions Roar" there is a clear and determined attempt made to rock things up and give a bigger sound. The bittersweet harmonies remain firmly in place but better songs with fuller production are everywhere plus growing signs that the sisters can write a fine set of lyrics. They recently reduced Patti Smith to a tearful wreck with a stirring version of her "Dancing Barefoot", yet it is to that other female giant of music that this albums finest song is dedicated. "Emmylou" name checks the romance of Harris with her true love Gram Parsons, plus June Carter with the Man in Black. It could easily be clichéd and trite but instead it is a splendid country concoction and possibly the finest thing the sisters have done. There must be composers in Nashville thinking that a monster has been created in Stockholm that can out countrify them in every respect. The opening title track equally sees the sisters drawing from Dylan and Cash with considerable aplomb, harmonies to die for and a melody drawn from the ages in a powerful alt country ballad. Indeed the opening three songs which conclude with the "In the hearts of men" a song Neko Case would have mortgaged her house to write sees First Aid Kit barely putting a foot wrong. Further musical peaks arrive in the form of the beautiful ringing gentle ballad "Blue" (not a Joni Mitchell cover) and the wonders of the rolling "To a poet" which certainly has a Fleet Foxes tinge and is frankly all the better for it. A step change comes when the sisters truly cut loose on the last track with a rollicking hoedown entitled "King of the world". This reviewer was idly speculating that the Felice brothers who have sadly lost their mojo of late should produce a song of this quality when by happy accident some of them turn up with Conor Oberst to sing backing vocals. This serendipity is actually rather obvious when you hear this joyous song jam packed with handclaps, violins, accordions and horns (one can only hope that Ian Felice has exercised his demons since the troubling "Celebration Florida"). Finally a doff of the cap to the gorgeous strummed lament "New Years Eve" which is solid proof that First Aid Kit are maturing into an act as classy as a pair of Jimmy Choo's. Please seek this song out you will adore it.
"The Lion's Roar" is the sound of a band rapidly maturing at light speed with a talent well beyond their years. Listen to their first EP "Drunken Trees" and chart the scale of the journey to this new LP and the size of the musical leap. It's all quite remarkable and in the context of the evolving story of the Söderberg's we should warmly welcome the fact that "sisters are doing it for themselves".
There is not one bad track or filler on this album the quality remains constantly high throughout each track.
Its easy to forget these girls are Swedish such is the rich Americana folk sound and vocals.
I will stick my head on the line and say this is the 2012 album of the year and a must for anyone with an ounce of musical nouse.
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