New Album Showcase: First Aid Kit- Palomino

First Aid Kit- Palomino

Label: Columbia

Producer: Daniel Bengston

The Swedish sisterly duo of Johanna and Klara Soderberg returns with their fifth record, and first since 2018’s Ruins, with their trademark exquisite harmonies and lilting folk sound feeling just as aurally captivating and thematically stirring as it was the first time we heard their singular vocal blend. Their crystalline voices and the hair-raising force they create when merged together just seem to effortlessly float within the universe around us. It’s as if they’re one of those miraculous natural forces, like the wind, air or water. They’re wondrous and mysterious, yet we take their existence for granted and only really appreciate them when we slow down and really give them the focus they warrant. Like each of the four preceding albums in their catalog, Palomino is certainly worthy of such attention and reflective focus. New producer Daniel Bengston quickly proves that he’s smart enough to not get in the way of the Soderbergs’ immense talents, but also has the good taste to subtly dabble with their well-crafted folk bedrock, whether it be via the swirling power-pop of the excellent opener, “Out of My Head”, the clapping pace of “A Feeling That Never Came”, or the chugging rock bass and guitar lines of the title track and “Fallen Snow”. These slight touches all provide decadent evolution and variety to the duo’s overall palate, without ever sacrificing the roots that they’ve proudly celebrated since their 2010 debut, varied cosmic rock and country influences like Gram Parsons who once again receive a nice nod in the lilting storytelling of “Wild Horses II”. And while it’s alwaysfar too easy and tempting to get absolutely lost in the aural sound of the proceedings, it’s important to not overlook their sharp and profound storytelling observations of the overall life experience, particularly under an updated 2020s lens. Singles like the earlier mentioned “Out of My Head” and “Angel” starkly document the inner battles that one faces with their own self-sabotaging doubts and anxieties, pushing toward triumphant perseverance without ever downplaying the crippling struggles that always remain in the background. Their ultimate power may continue to lay however in the way they so elegantly frame the complex elements of romance and relationships on lush, string-soaked diamonds like “The Last One” or “Nobody Knows”. Don’t you dare finish up your year-end best of retrospectives without making room for this stunning jewel of a record.

Track Listing:

1. “Out of My Head” (Johanna Soderberg, Klara Soderberg, Bjorn Yttling)
2. “Angel” (Soderberg, Soderberg, Yttling, Daniel Bengston)
3. “Ready to Run” (Soderberg, Soderberg, Yttling, Bengston)
4. “Turning Onto You” (Soderberg, Soderberg)
5. “Fallen Snow” (Soderberg, Soderberg)
6. “Wild Horses II” (Soderberg, Soderberg)
7. “The Last One” (Soderberg, Soderberg, Yttling, Bengston)
8. “Nobody Knows” (Soderberg, Soderberg, Yttling)
9. “A Feeling That Never Came” (Soderberg, Soderberg)
10. “29 Palms Highway” (Soderberg, Soderberg)
11. “Palomino” (Soderberg, Soderberg, Yttling, Bengston)