ALBUM OF THE WEEK

First Aid Kit Ruins Columbia, out Jan 19 ★★★★★

There is no harmony quite like a sibling harmony. Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg first came to our attention in 2008 with a bewitching cover of Fleet Foxes’ Tiger Mountain Peasant Song. Here were two teens whose voices dripped with the telepathic purity of The Everly Brothers. Much has changed in the 10 years since. On Ruins, producer Tucker Martine brings a meatier rhythmic kick, adding brass and retro keyboards, but the band’s modus operandi is now well established. They do pop-savvy Americana with big melodies, of which opener Rebel Heart is one of their finest. It’s all beautifully executed, but there’s little progression from their last record, 2014’s Stay Gold. Perhaps one day First Aid Kit will push through their ingrained politeness to fulfil their destiny as a folk-rock Abba. For now, Ruins just about keeps them on track.