First Aid Kit is comprised of Swedish sisters, Johanna and Klara Söderberg. This, their sophomore effort, was recorded in Omaha with Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes), and features their father on bass guitar and various other Omaha based musicians contributing to the affair.

Title track, The Lion’s Roar sets an impressive tone, one of Americana with delicate layers that fit perfectly upon each other. A snarling vocal culminates in a harmony between the two as they croon: “I’m a goddamn coward but then again, so are you.” Their vocals are stirring to say the least.

Forlorn lyrics such as these are found almost all over The Lion’s Roar, but it is already hard to see how and why the young sisters find such grief in this world. Emmylou, the pair’s ode to the love affairs of country legend Emmylou Harris, is another example of this. The track contains lines like: “I’ll be your Emmylou and your June, if you’ll be my Gram and my Johnny too.” The Söderberg’s aren’t afraid to bare their influences on their sleeves (however clumsy it may sound) and have admitted they find great inspiration in reading about other people’s heartbreak.

Elsewhere on the record, Blue has a playful, childlike melody, while To A Poet is of calm, soothing tones. But, before things get too predictable, Wolf shakes up the vibe with effective, chanting vocals, while closer King Of The World lets Conor Oberst take to the mic, injecting a little more urgency into proceedings.

While being an expansive record with calming, svelte tones, The Lion’s Roar can become a little predictable at times. It also feels a little too in awe of the genre’s past (you can hear the spirit of Towns Van Zandt throughout). Yet the Söderberg sister’s harmonies and clear passion for the genre is never compromised, leaving them in good stead for album number three.

-Gavin Bevan-