- Swedish sister duet First Aid Kit have been treating us to subtly beautiful songwriting for almost ten years and their fourth record Ruins is no exception to that. A ten-tracker full of soft ballads, this is a prime example of their musical expertise.
The vocal harmonies that ring out in many places on the album are impeccable – it really shows that the thing they say about siblings singing together is true right? The marriage of their two unique voices works so well: a vocal match made in heaven.
Ruins features some of First Aid Kit's strongest songwriting to date, with every track being some kind of ear worm burrowing into your brain. For songwriters that don’t speak English as their first language their lyrical content is flawless and littered with cleverly metaphorical refrains and poetic imagery.
Their country-tinged folk rock has a distinctly Scandinavian lilt tingeing what is a unique sound. However, this record takes a subtle stylistic departure from their previous work, which definitely sat on the country side of the fence. Hem Of Her Dress takes away some of the overtly country tones and focuses almost solely on the lilting vocal lines, accompanied by a scratchy guitar, giving you appreciation for the little things that make First Aid Kit so darn special.
The somber falling melody in Fireworks dots your body with goosebumps. The rise and fall of the musical arrangement also adds a much-needed dynamic to the track. It’s the kind of song to hold a torch up to – a quality that's very hard to achieve.
First Aid Kit is aptly named – they are masters of applying a musical band aid to a bleeding heart and then ripping it back off again. Ruins is an open letter to all things love and heartbreak, created with astute sonwriting and intoxicating harmonies.
- Olivia Shoesmith.