Ruins
“Well, a goodbye never seems finished,” sing Klara and Johanna Söderberg on “Distant Star.” Written in the shadow of Klara’s split from her fiancé, much of their fourth album examines the difficulty of moving on, delivering despair and confusion through breathtakingly pure harmonies. For all the lyrical reflection, there’s a keen sense of forward thinking within the music. “Postcard” and “Distant Star” may offer exquisitely classic Americana, but the duo also draw on dream pop (“Fireworks”) and rippling electronic (“My Wild Sweet Love”) before squeezing a brass band and rowdy, closing-time chorus into “Hem of Her Dress.”
The Swedish folk duo’s fourth album is a showcase for their sweet harmonies, with some bold stylistic departures.
First Aid Kit delivers more ’70s folk-rock mastery with Ruins, while Porches sputters out on The House and Belle & Sebastian go deeper and darker on the second How To Solve Our Human Problems EP. These, plus Tune-Yards, Shopping, and more in this week’s notable releases.
Ruins is a more mature record with the gentle weight of experience, and a freshly-sharpened edge of cynicism permeating the album's lyrics.
Also: The Residents – The Third Reich’n’Roll, Glen Hansard – Between Two Shores, Starcrawler – Starcrawler, and Daniel Taylor, The Trinity Choir – The Path To Paradise
Ruins doesn't aim to re-write the indie-folk/country rule book, rather, the Söderberg sisters are just fine-tuning their craft and growing into a comfortable groove.
"I want to give so much so freely/Not have to take it back," sing Stockholm sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg on "Rebel Heart."
Things only really become interesting on First Aid Kit fourth album ‘Ruins’ when the Söderberg sisters wander outside their comfort zone.
First Aid Kit has gotten exceedingly proficient at imitating their favorite American artists.