This album has been submitted by a user and is not included in any edition of the book.
The Lion's Roar is the second studio album by Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit. It was produced by Mike Mogis and features contributions from Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst, Nate Walcott, and The Felice Brothers. The album was released on 18 January 2012. The Lion's Roar received general acclaim from music journalists. The album holds an aggregate score of 81 out of 100 on Metacritic, which indicates "universal acclaim". Rebecca Nicholson of The Guardian commented that it was "a bigger, better record than their debut, rounded out with the confidence of maturity and a smooth, assured indie-country sound." Helen Clarke of musicOMH was similarly positive, stating that "this follow-up could be the album that sees them nudge the likes of Laura Marling and Mumford and Sons out of the way in order to claim a place at the top table." As with the band's previous work, critics praised Klara and Johanna Söderberg's singing, with The Independent highlighting the band's "clear, characterful voices, employed in beautifully modulated, bell-like harmonies." Rolling Stone named the song "Emmylou" the 10th best song of 2012 and 96th in their list of 100 best songs of the 2010s. At the 2013 annual Grammis Awards, the album won three awards, including album of the year, pop of the year and best album composers of the year.
GREAT start to day 1 of this new project. This scratches the Mumford and Sons/Edward Sharpe itch for me. I know some people hate stuff like this but it is 100% the exact thing I love.
The folk album the people needed but didn't deserve.
Lovely folk music.
9/10. This was really pretty.
Delightful Americana via Sweden featuring some of the finest contemporaries we have to offer from the US catalog folk monsters
"Emmylou" is the star of the show, but several gems. A duo that consistently makes very good albums. The harmonies are knockout!
Man, I love First Aid Kit but to be honest I kind of forgot about them! So I was really happy when this came up. A great opportunity to revisit their beautiful music and harmonies. 4 stars.
Now it's possible to add carillon to the verbal impression of First Aid Kit. The Lion's Roar is mighty melancholy; I remember seeing a live performance of Emmylou, must have viewed it from Utah, but not with that emotion. Clearly, sadness can be generative. Blue, following, is on the nose lyrically, music nearly saccharine.
Great album. Thanks for suggesting
Yeah, nice soft folksy stuff. Good addition.
A very underestimated band.
When this came out it took indie folk by storm, probably as an introduction to most folks. At the time I would have likely rated this a 4, but over time it has lost it's staying power for me. It's still "good" but a bit too one-dimensional and feels like it's missing something... I'm not sure.
More Norwegian country/folk with the signers sounding remarkably like they came out of the American Midwest. An enjoyable listen, though the lyrics came across a little clunky for me.
Un bon album, folk pop. Ca suit bien le style de ce type de groupe. Ma conjointe est fan j'ai enregistré pour elle. Merci de la suggestion. 3.85
Didn't know they were from Sweden. Typically not the country you'd expect to produce a country-folkish duo with (at least to me) pretty convincing Southern US accents. (I'm not from either of these countries so I'm probably way off on both my observations). Overall I'm not the biggest country and folk fan, but this I can actually appreciate. Lovely harmonies.
Nice sound en folky vibe. I liked it.
Neat indie folk, but I appreciated this more as individual songs over a full album ride
A cool Swedish folk rock record from one of those under-the-radar bands that it's always good to rediscover from time to time
Solid record. Even though its not my personal taste, it could have been on the list easily
One of those albums where a look at the cover tells you EXACTLY what you're in for. It's a "fuck no" from me, but at least it was honest about it. 2/5.
I'm not much of a folkie so this is largely lost on me.
Considering that I don't like folk I was pleasantly surprised, I didn't love it, but pleasantly surprised.
Stunning
I’ve never heard of this Swedish duo, and my expectations for such an album were nothing like what was delivered. Fortunately, the reality is also a really fantastic album that I’m glad to have in my library. Wow!
Oh my goodness. So good! Thank you!
Simply a delight!
Sweden? Hell yeah, Sweden! Beautiful songs, beautiful harmonies, beautiful instrumental arrangements. I would be happy to just keep listening to this one all week.
Indie folk, Americana. Recorded in Omaha Nebraska... but they are a Swedish duo. Their voices can be overwhelming at times, but overall the album is a very nice listen. Never heard of them before and I might get to know some more of their other works. Standouts: The Lion's Roar, Emmylou, This Old Routine, King of the World Rating: 4
My goodness this is lovely, one of my favorite user submitted albums so far. Earthy and dreamy, with gorgeous harmonies and abundant charm. I didn't spend nearly enough time with this today, but I am definitely coming back to it. Thanks for recommending this. Fave Songs: Emmylou, In the Hearts of Men, The Lion's Roar, I Found a Way, King of the World, Dance to Another Tune
This is a great album that incorporates indie folk into a more explicitly Americana base. There are also touches of British folk revival and outlaw country. The result is a lush and beautiful album helmed by two strong voices.
Really compelling singer-songwriter album that starts out huge... Lion's Roar and Emmylou are strong and engaging. There's a few other gems along the way, like To a Poet, but it suffers a bit from being very samey by the time you get to the end. Promising and approachable.
A Swedish folk duo comprising two sisters. Really lovely, atmospheric, evocative, contemplative story telling, with a slightly sad vibe and great harmonies. Very scandi. My first reaction is I really, really, like it. Rating: 4.5 Playlist track: Emmylou Date listened: 16/09/24
At certain points, ethereally gorgeous. I think the record stumbles around the midway point ("Blue", specifically) and never quite recovers, though the latter half is good, just not as great as the first three tracks. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "The Lion's Roar", "Emmylou"
Good folk album
Sweetly sung and sounding very Nashville without much hint of Scandinavian background. Slightly more folk than country. Gentle.
For country folk, which was statistically one of my least favourite genres in the book, this is decent. Give me a summers day and some greenery and my bike and I'll chill along to this nicely.
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: In the hearts of men, King of the world
Indie folk, Americana. Ni fu ni fa.
A bit twangy and folky. Pretty easy to listen to. However, not something that I'd listen to on a regular basis since it's somewhat melancholic. Worth listening to, however.
It is a nice album
These gals are from the wrong country
Pretty good album. Wouldn't have been able to guess that they were Swedish, that's how well they nailed the Americana folk sound. Didn't really wow me but it was a solid ride all the way through. Favorite tracks: The Lion's Roar, Emmylou (Harris?), To a Poet. Album art: A couple of wispy Swedish women wading through a field. Big siren energy. 3.5/5
Great folk album! Felt a little repetitive at moments but the vibe was great and a perfect thanksgiving esque album. Very fall very Swedish.
This is a solid folk album by two ladies who understand the sound and what it takes to make a cohesive folk album. Simple and expressive while having somewhat deeper lyrics. Overall a good easy listen. 6.5/10
This LP is well-executed instrumentally and organizationally, with some great Americana singer-songwriter instrumentation and compositions. That being said, this is one of my least favorite genres, and while it's perhaps a stellar treatment of the material there's just no accounting for taste.
TLDR
I couldn't find the appeal myself. Sounds a lot like any other alt-country Americana type thing.