First Aid Kit are an anomaly, as two Swedish sisters with an affinity for American folk and country. However, the music world has had no troubles embracing their beautiful harmonies. Their latest record, Stay Gold,moved slightly away from their usually intimate numbers with big arrangements, making the songs a bit tricky to tour. They made the choice to play smaller venues for this latest jaunt to Australia and undertook some great lateral thinking steps to play those songs live.
Marlon Williams was first to take the stage with his spine-chillingly strong voice and fast finger-picking guitar work. His entire set felt like each song had been written in a burnt-out church somewhere in the middle of the deep American South of the ‘20s. At times, other listeners in the audience swore they almost heard the crackling sound of a gramophone needle as he sang of love, heartbreak and murder. There is no doubt Williams is a time traveller sent from the future to educate us on folk and country with a voice so strong it could stop the heart of a stampeding brumby.
A backdrop of glittering gold loomed over the silhouettes of Klara and Johanna Söderberg as they ambled their way onstage. When the house lights went up you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking maybe they’d taken the theme of ‘gold’ a bit too far. Opening with Stay Gold off their latest album of the same name, the sisters stood resplendent in bright gold dresses against their shimmering gold background. However, the slightly tacky theme choice didn’t matter an iota because as soon as their voices reached the ears of the capacity crowd it was meditative bliss.
The watered-down four-piece consisted of the singing sisters Klara and Johanna, taking their usual places on guitar and keyboard, backed by a drummer and lead guitarist. It worked amazingly well, seemingly coming down to the duo’s ability to hold a crowd in their palms. This was most evident when the two stepped away from their microphones and sang their old number Ghost Town accompanied only by Klara’s guitar. Not one person’s attention drifted during the incredibly intimate moment, and as the silent appreciation grew into a restless tension, the band released their lead single My Silver Lining.
A cover of Bob Dylan’s One More Cup of Coffee saw the duo show off a bit of edge in their usually softly spoken attitudes and continued it into their rendition of 2012’s The Lion’s Roar. Finishing on Emmylou, they led the audience through a countless number of choruses, permanently stuffing the melody into the audience’s brain for the remainder of their lives.
BY RHYS MCRAE
Photo by Anna Kanci
Loved: The Ghost Town campfiresing-a-long.
Hated: Giant people with massive heads (every fucking time).
Drank: Vitamin B.
