Manchester Evening News

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- DavidCityL­ife@gmail.com @DavidCityL­ife

FROM Robyn and Lykke Li to Tove Lo and Zara Larsson, the Scandinavi­an region has gifted the world some truly wonderful electronic pop singers in recent years. All of which makes singing siblings Klara and Johanna Soderberg something of an anomaly: they may hail from Stockholm, the Swedish capital, but the duo’s music sounds owe more to the sweet strains of rustic Americana than the vibrant buzz of Scandi-pop.

Standing out from the pack has, of course, worked to the sisters’ advantage. Indeed, it’s now been a decade since First Aid Kit first sprang to wider attention when a video of them covering Fleet Foxes’ Tiger Mountain Peasant Song became a YouTube hit. Ten years on and four albums in, the Soderberg sisters have polished and honed their delicate indie-folk formula to chart-slaying, worldconqu­ering perfection.

The duo’s return to Manchester this week will no doubt be loaded with heavy emotion. Klara Soderberg, the younger of the sisters, spent two years living in Chorlton while she was engaged to local musician Jo Rose. Sadly, the relationsh­ip didn’t last.

The pressure of the band’s worldwide success, non-stop touring and dealing with heartbreak, Klara returned to Stockholm with sister Johanna.

Their relationsh­ip, too, suffered as a result, but all was not lost. The emotional turmoil was funneled into their latest LP Ruins, and while it’s not exactly a hoot - that’s what we love about First Aid Kit.

Needless to say, don’t forget to pack a few tissues when the duo showcase their luscious folk stylings – now with even greater heartbreak – at the Albert Hall over two consecutiv­e nights.

Albert Hall / alberthall­manchester.com / 0161 817 3490 / Monday, February 26 and Tuesday, February 27 / £25

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