Album of the Week for 03/09/17: "The Lion's Roar" by First Aid Kit

The conversation went like this:

Me: What do you guys want to play on Album of the Week this week?

C&D: (always the first request) Taylor Swift?

Me: No.

C&D: Can we do Lily and Madeline again, or do they have anything new?

Me: No. (Without checking. They had an album come out in February 2016 that flew way, way under my radar. I only checked after the rest of this post already happened) Would you be willing to do something by Neil Diamond?

C&D: No. We want some melodies. How about First Aid Kit?

Me: Done.

And then I went back and forth between 2014's Stay Gold and 2012's The Lion's Roar, finally settling on the latter after listening to both today. They are both great albums if you like melodic Swedish teenage sisters who sing folk music; both produced by Omaha's Mike Mogis; both about 40 minutes long. The latter got 7.6 on Pitchfork, the former 7.3. Only The Lion's Roar has Conor Oberst and James Felice as guest vocalists/players, though, so it got the nod. I knew that whichever I played, I'd finish the show with their 2015 cover of Simon & Garfunkle's America - probably one of my favorite songs - because theirs is one of my favorite covers of the song. They annunciate "Mrs. Wagner's pies" in a way that finally conveys upon the provision its long-overdue importance, among other niceties.

Anyway... join me, C and D for Album of the Week while we listen to Johanna and Klara Söderberg's The Lion's Roar.