First Aid Kit

Add Date: January 24

Artist: First Aid Kit

Album: The Lion's Roar

Label: Wichita

Genre: Folk, folk rock

Comments: If you're like me, then you've been waiting for this debut for weeks. You've probably listened to First Aid Kit's songs on NPR, iTunes, Pitchfork, and, yes, even perezhilton.com (feel free to give me flak for reading this website). If, however, you've been living in a hole, you're in for a great surprise. This Swedish sister duo demonstrates their complete understanding and excellent practice of every type of folk on The Lion's Roar.

The title track starts the album with a dark, rough edge and the central themes of desperation and disappointment. These themes float through the whole album, but the girls intermittently play with their softer voices and softer sides. First Aid Kit's expert oscillation between a hard resentment of the world's faults and forelorn surrender to their imminence makes The Lion's Roar not just a sincere album, but also a personal journey through these commonplace, yet heartbreaking, difficulties.

Worth listening to the whole album, but highlights include tracks 1, 2 and 10.