Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Soderberg capture the soul of Americana on their third album, Stay Gold.
The siblings sing with that uncanny character that blood breeds: two voices that follow each other with throwaway precision and keening harmonies.
The Soderbergs have also bucked the producer/pop singer star system that Idol-type shows and companies thrive on. They write their songs, sing them, play on them and zero in on a timeless zone of folk-rock with an intensity so natural it seems recognizable.
Some of the best interpreters of national musical styles are from outside the region, giving them the distance to re-imagine the landscape.
Stay Gold is dominated by the Soderbergs’ twinned voices, clear, strong and Appalachian in spirit, minus the twang. There’s also a slight Maritime lilt that drives the music, along with the mountain rhythms (Heaven Knows).
This gives their music a singular, timeless character. They sing of the road, distant vistas, waitresses, and seasons. The songs are dreamy, but not detached, and the lyrics and vocals are a vibrant presence that has an honest inspirational character.
Producer Mike Mogis (Fleet Foxes) puts a string ensemble to First Aid Kit’s flowing music, heavy on violins, viola and cellos. From the first swooning note of My Silver Lining, it’s easy to be hooked; the songs cast a potent spell. The strings add a rich palette that adds resonance and power to the duo’s acoustic-based music.
Their songs have a deep emotional pull and if they’re all similar in style (a baroque ‘70s folk/country vibe), the imagery that the harmonies and chords invoke present a thematic flow.
Stay Gold is a record that anyone who has an interest in how folk and old-time country music can be presented in a committed, re-imagined form should check out.
(On a candid note, I played it six times through, and didn’t want to comment, just listen).
– Dean Gordon-Smith is a Vernon-based musician who writes about new releases in his column, Street Sounds, every Friday.
