Listening To...

First Aid Kit- The Lion's Roar

xXx

Hey :)

As my boyfriend so eloquently put it, this album is a little 'front-loaded'. That is to say, in our opinion, the the first half of the album is better than the latter half. However, the distinctly Fairport Convention-esque folk-rock middle eight in track eight really got me smiling; but the first three tracks in particular are really quite lovely, with their pleasing melodies.

 Is this down, partly, to the fact that, on listening to the CD in the car on short journeys around town, we rarely get past track three and are therefore not familiar with the rest of the songs?  ;P Well I sat down this morning-before breakfast mind you (!)-to listen to the album in its entirety and give my verdict on the work as a whole.

  To me, the intonations in the vocalists voices, the sometimes 'badly fitting' lyrics, the guitar (when, from time to time,  it can be heard alone) and  chord the progressions; along with the accents of the singers (although they're Swedish) put me in mind on Bob Dylan and sometimes Brandi Carlile.

Their sound is mostly country/folk which, despite having a certain familiarity, still sounds new and different. It feels like a mélange of styles and textures we already know, old and recent, with their own secret ingredient thrown in. To quote a lyric from track eight, Dance To Another Tune, theres nothing new under the sun'.

 I'm going to give this album 3/5. I like it for all the reasons stated above: the recognition of influences of some of my favourite artists in these songs is, I think, the thing that really excites me. So, although I've been quite harsh about the lack of 'out and out' originality, I will say that their unique selling point is exactly that- how many other bands have encompassed so many of the already established folk and indie styles we know and love on one album? And as we all know, if something works well, keep doing it :) 

Just briefly, one other thing I really like about First Aid Kit, is their use of harmonies. From the Andrews Sisters to The Civil Wars, anything with harmonies is sure to delight me.

Listening To... (and the notorious second album)

'Halcyon'
by 
Ellie Goulding

Image courtesy of Google Images

I am a HUGE Ellie Goulding fan.
Need I say more?
Well I will.

x

If I'd have had her first album Lights on vinyl I'd have played it out long ago. I loved it. And Ellie became a sort of idol to me.
Awaiting a second album from a favourite artist who's debut was so amazing, fresh and engaging is always a little nerve-wracking. I did the same (though not to this extent) with Duffy after I bought her debut Rockferry (the deluxe edition I'll have you know!) which I also really loved, and was really disappointed with the first single from her second album that I didn't even feel like bothering listening to the rest of it. Sorry Duffy :/

Ellie delivered. Maybe I'm biased? I do recognise in me sometimes that trait which pledges to 'like' regardless of quality, simply because I may have a soft spot for the creator/ musician/ artist/ even person who recommenced me that thing but mostly, in these cases, the piece in question does actually grow on me. And I come to genuinely like it.

Florence + The Machine is a huge passion of mine too- a shared love between myself and my best friend Sophie- and her Ceremonials was a real achievement and a fabulous follow up to her amazing debut Lungs.

I digress.

Halcyon is a wonderful piece of work. Ellie has kept her distinct and unique sound which is what entranced me in the beginning, but she has also seemed to have grown into herself too, her music having become more mature and confident. Whereas Lights was exciting, fresh and magical; Halcyon is exciting, grown up and emotional.
The dubstep on the track Figure 8....!
x


Track listing and personal favourites:

1) Don't Say A Word
2) My Blood-
My absolute favourite song of the moment, definitely from this album
3) Anything Could Happen
4) Only You-
I love the drop
5) Halcyon
6) Figure 8-
I'm a secret dubstep fan and this just makes me feel amazing
7) Joy
8) Hanging On-
Ok this is cheating as it's a cover but it's super stirring
9) Explosions
10) I Know You Care- 
This one makes me cry
11) Atlantis
12) Dead In The Water
13) I Need Your Love

What are you listening to at the moment?

Heidi-V
x