A thing of rare beauty as Sweden meets Great Plains

First Aid Kit at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena

UNLIKELY combinations don’t always work.

Despite what a rabble of foodies will tell you, the abomination that is chocolate and avocado cake is the devil’s own work. In terms of grim crossovers, it’s up there with dubstep metal.

And, by rights, “Swedish country and western music” should fall into the same category.

Yet Stockholm-raised sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, aka First Aid Kit, have managed to make Scandinavian cowboy/cowgirl music a thing of rare beauty.

The pair started making music 11 years ago, when they were 16 and 14 respectively, and have since achieved international fame, picked up a Brit – that the beauty of their music really award nomination, and hit number shone out. three in the UK album charts with latest The performance was littered with offering Ruins. nice touches, such as their old family

And their accomplished performance photos projected onto the backdrop. in Cardiff on Tuesday night proved why Yet it was the encore that provided the they’ve garnered such acclaim. two towering moments. The show closed

From the first strains of Distant Star, with a stunning version of arguably their the siblings laid out a luscious vocal best-known number, My Silver Lining. treat. The themes of whisky-soaked And it was preceded by the majestic heartbreak infused their set, while the Fireworks – a song of shimmering beauty rockier You Are The Problem Here, put every bit as dazzling as the laser light forward as an anthem against rape culture, that flooded the auditorium for the showed their talents aren’t confined night’s visual and musical highlight. to one genre. With their songs of love, hope, and

But it was on songs where their pure, beauty, this particular first-aid kit could angelic, voices truly took centre stage – heal the hearts of even the most lonesome such as Hem of Her Dress and Emmylou of cowboys.

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