First Aid Kit - The Big Black and the Blue

As befits a duo who first captured hearts with a Fleet Foxes cover (one million Youtube views and counting…), and whose live shows are dominated by a version of Universal Soldier (the Buffy Sainte-Marie protest song as opposed to the Van Damme classic), First Aid Kit’s debut album is firmly alt-country. Its campfire confessional vibe evokes Kentuckian porches more readily than frozen Stockholm, with only the Swedish “en, två, tre, fyra” that counts in Sailor Song’s gentle rockabilly swing, suggesting non-Yank heritage. Echoes of Jenny Lewis’s work with the Watson Twins resonate frequently, with sparse instrumentation placing all attention on the teenage sisters’ remarkable harmonising. Hard Believer showcases their vocals best, its central message (“love is tough”) genuinely affecting in its defiance and directness. Their palette might lack variety, but with voices to rival Emmylou Harris at her most soulful, what they achieve is exceptionally done. [Chris Buckle]