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Track List
01) Little Moon
02) You're Not Coming Home Tonight
03) Tangerine
04) Jagadamba, You Might
05) Our Own Pretty Ways
06) Pervigilo
07) Cross Oceans
08) Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
01) Little Moon
02) You're Not Coming Home Tonight
03) Tangerine
04) Jagadamba, You Might
05) Our Own Pretty Ways
06) Pervigilo
07) Cross Oceans
08) Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
3:52
2:29
3:12
3:45
3:27
5:33
2:50
3:04
Data Complete
80%
Total Rating
80%Total Rating
(1 users)
Back Cover
CD Art
3D Case
3D Thumb
3D Flat
3D Face
3D Spine
First Released
2008
Folk
Good Natured
Folk
---
Medium
EP
0 copies
Album Description
Available in:
Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg made their recording at the ripe young ages of 18 and 15, respectively, with this quietly accomplished EP (really more like a mini-LP) of amiably homespun acoustic folk. If the artists' ages are the most immediately noteworthy aspect of this release, their considerable vocal abilities are a strong, striking second: whether singly or (more typically) in sisterly harmony, the Söderbergs sing in full, earthy, expressive tones that belie their years. The same can't quite be said for their songwriting: if the cutesy "lets pretend" intro to the lullaby-like "Little Moon" opens the album by overtly tipping their hand to youth, the several songs about frustrated domestic relationships (a curious preoccupation -- perhaps it seemed like an appropriate topic for the genre?) are even more of a giveaway, tellingly informed by imagination and hearsay rather than than lived experience (sometimes, as on the confusedly personal-cum-political "Our Own Pretty Ways," it's just hard to tell what they're trying to get at.) Still, if the second-person failed-marriage saga "You're Not Coming Home Tonight" feels more like a transposed runaway-child fantasy than a defiant feminist statement, that doesn't make its strummy amble and deliciously catchy chorus harmonies any less infectious. First Aid Kit are -- as well they should be at this stage of the game -- still in the process of refining their craft, and still taking plenty of cues from other artists (the gorgeous cover of Fleet Foxes' "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" appended to later versions of this release makes their connections to the contemporary American indie folk revival all the more explicit), but the raw materials they've got at their disposal -- beyond-solid vocal chops and a sure way with a melodic hook -- all signal great things to come. Without straying too far from comfortably rootsy folk territory, Drunken Trees also offers a fair amount of range -- not nearly as straightforwardly sugar-sweet as they may at first seem, the duo can pull off poppy, dead sober, retro-rock ("Cross Oceans," which piles on the handclaps, electric organ, and rollicking drumbeat) and spooky (check the spare, ghostly "Jagadamba" -- they're not signed to the Knife's Rabid label for nothing) with equal conviction -- which makes it all the more intriguing to see where they'll go from here.
User Album Review
For ladies of such tender years, the Swedish sisters that are First Aid Kit have made a deep and varied debut EP full of variety and catchy tunes.
The likes of Laura Marling and Kitty, Daisy And Lewis have taught us that age is about as important as haircuts these days. The fact that Johanna and Klara Saderberg from Stockholm didn't even grace this earth until 1990 and 1993 respectively doesn't mean a thing.
Just listen to the graceful, warm and roomy piano that opens first track Full Moon. Okay, so the chatty intro is a little teenaged, but as soon as the singing begins, you're drawn into their sweet innocence, their pretty harmonised voices and the simple melodies that make this debut so listenable. It's almost possible to imagine them perfecting their songs in bedrooms adorned with cuddly toys and posters on the walls.
You're Not Coming Home Tonight, a song about the perils of working and family life, has a gorgeous country vibe with a Texas-rich baseline and a tune so catchy you'll find yourself bopping along the pavement with it repeating in your head for days.
The girls' finest moment has to be the eerie and sublime Jagadamba, You Might, with its minimalist plucked guitar, '50s vocal production and an almost American blues melody reminiscent of Jolie Holland. The sisters' voices merge together wonderfully and it's certainly a stand out track.
That's not to say the others aren't great too, but they lack the maturity that could make them something really special. Our Own Pretty Ways is a great folk-pop song, but as with some of the other tracks, the occasional vocal twinge and exaggerated pronunciation can be a little embarrassing. But some of them work brilliantly, especially when the harmonies go off in different directions rather than staying in the safety zone.
Growing up with the likes of Christina and Britney has rubbed off to a degree – the vocals have moments of subtlety and softness that work wonderfully well, but sometimes they can be a little strained, at at these moments they lose some of their beauty, like in the Fleet Foxes cover of Tiger Mountain Peasant Song (the film of the girls singing it in the forest on YouTube) is actually really lovely, but maybe sung a bit too harshly on record) and the rockier Cross Oceans.
Comparisons to such artists as Joanna Newsom, Karen Dalton and Devendra Banhart, mainly in the singing styles, also stands up, although they still have a fair old way to go until they're matching them in the songwriting department.
However, the amount of radio play First Aid Kit have received in the past few months only goes to show that the world loves a simple pop song by a group that has more than an ounce of musical talent. This really is a most promising debut, offering the prospect of better things to come as they develop over the next year or two.
External Album Reviews
None...
User Comments
Available in:
Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg made their recording at the ripe young ages of 18 and 15, respectively, with this quietly accomplished EP (really more like a mini-LP) of amiably homespun acoustic folk. If the artists' ages are the most immediately noteworthy aspect of this release, their considerable vocal abilities are a strong, striking second: whether singly or (more typically) in sisterly harmony, the Söderbergs sing in full, earthy, expressive tones that belie their years. The same can't quite be said for their songwriting: if the cutesy "lets pretend" intro to the lullaby-like "Little Moon" opens the album by overtly tipping their hand to youth, the several songs about frustrated domestic relationships (a curious preoccupation -- perhaps it seemed like an appropriate topic for the genre?) are even more of a giveaway, tellingly informed by imagination and hearsay rather than than lived experience (sometimes, as on the confusedly personal-cum-political "Our Own Pretty Ways," it's just hard to tell what they're trying to get at.) Still, if the second-person failed-marriage saga "You're Not Coming Home Tonight" feels more like a transposed runaway-child fantasy than a defiant feminist statement, that doesn't make its strummy amble and deliciously catchy chorus harmonies any less infectious. First Aid Kit are -- as well they should be at this stage of the game -- still in the process of refining their craft, and still taking plenty of cues from other artists (the gorgeous cover of Fleet Foxes' "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" appended to later versions of this release makes their connections to the contemporary American indie folk revival all the more explicit), but the raw materials they've got at their disposal -- beyond-solid vocal chops and a sure way with a melodic hook -- all signal great things to come. Without straying too far from comfortably rootsy folk territory, Drunken Trees also offers a fair amount of range -- not nearly as straightforwardly sugar-sweet as they may at first seem, the duo can pull off poppy, dead sober, retro-rock ("Cross Oceans," which piles on the handclaps, electric organ, and rollicking drumbeat) and spooky (check the spare, ghostly "Jagadamba" -- they're not signed to the Knife's Rabid label for nothing) with equal conviction -- which makes it all the more intriguing to see where they'll go from here.
User Album Review
For ladies of such tender years, the Swedish sisters that are First Aid Kit have made a deep and varied debut EP full of variety and catchy tunes.
The likes of Laura Marling and Kitty, Daisy And Lewis have taught us that age is about as important as haircuts these days. The fact that Johanna and Klara Saderberg from Stockholm didn't even grace this earth until 1990 and 1993 respectively doesn't mean a thing.
Just listen to the graceful, warm and roomy piano that opens first track Full Moon. Okay, so the chatty intro is a little teenaged, but as soon as the singing begins, you're drawn into their sweet innocence, their pretty harmonised voices and the simple melodies that make this debut so listenable. It's almost possible to imagine them perfecting their songs in bedrooms adorned with cuddly toys and posters on the walls.
You're Not Coming Home Tonight, a song about the perils of working and family life, has a gorgeous country vibe with a Texas-rich baseline and a tune so catchy you'll find yourself bopping along the pavement with it repeating in your head for days.
The girls' finest moment has to be the eerie and sublime Jagadamba, You Might, with its minimalist plucked guitar, '50s vocal production and an almost American blues melody reminiscent of Jolie Holland. The sisters' voices merge together wonderfully and it's certainly a stand out track.
That's not to say the others aren't great too, but they lack the maturity that could make them something really special. Our Own Pretty Ways is a great folk-pop song, but as with some of the other tracks, the occasional vocal twinge and exaggerated pronunciation can be a little embarrassing. But some of them work brilliantly, especially when the harmonies go off in different directions rather than staying in the safety zone.
Growing up with the likes of Christina and Britney has rubbed off to a degree – the vocals have moments of subtlety and softness that work wonderfully well, but sometimes they can be a little strained, at at these moments they lose some of their beauty, like in the Fleet Foxes cover of Tiger Mountain Peasant Song (the film of the girls singing it in the forest on YouTube) is actually really lovely, but maybe sung a bit too harshly on record) and the rockier Cross Oceans.
Comparisons to such artists as Joanna Newsom, Karen Dalton and Devendra Banhart, mainly in the singing styles, also stands up, although they still have a fair old way to go until they're matching them in the songwriting department.
However, the amount of radio play First Aid Kit have received in the past few months only goes to show that the world loves a simple pop song by a group that has more than an ounce of musical talent. This really is a most promising debut, offering the prospect of better things to come as they develop over the next year or two.
External Album Reviews
None...
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