Sweden has long been bringing its A-game when it comes to musical exports. Now following the lead of other satisfying Swede acts like The Tallest Man on Earth, Shout Out Louds, and The Knife, comes the sisterly duo of First Aid Kit. Klara and Johanna Soderberg play wise-beyond-their-years, country-tinged pop. They look not a day older than a newborn babe in the woods, but my oh my, they sound like world weary women.
The “love is tough/ time is rough” harmonic chorus of “Hard Believer” sounds simplistic enough (hey, that rhymes), but the combo of both Soderbergs’ robust vocals adds a dimension of complexity that emphasizes that deep well of experience the girls have amassed in fewer than twenty years.
Their debut album, The Big Black and The Blue, is out now on Wichita Recordings. It’s gotten great press; in fact, First Aid Kit is listed as Spin’s “Breaking Out” artist in this month’s issue.