First Aid Kit
King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow
20/02/2010

As cold as the air may be outside tonight, the mood upstairs here at King Tut’s is one of pure warmth, as Swedish sisterly duo First Aid Kit - having spent the duration of the gig up until this point selling and signing their own merch, shaking every hand and taking every photo the bustling crowd request – calmly and confidently set about immersing the welcoming throng in their beguiling, lovelorn harmonies.

Delivered with as much power as graceful accuracy, the sisters Soderberg (Klara and Johanna to be precise) effortlessly weave in and out of their slim but impenetrable back catalogue – particularly debut full-length, ‘The Big Black And The Blue’. Folky foot-stompers like ‘Sailor Song’ and ‘You’re Not Coming Home Tonight’ reflect not only their impressive musical capabilities but also their sheer joy to be up on stage; the girls trading sweet nods of admiration to both the crowd and each other amid fixed grins.

However, it’s within the bittersweet waltzing of songs like ‘I Met Up With The King’ and ‘Heavy Storm’ that the real rewards lie. Sombre and soothing, this slower pace evokes moments of pure beauty that at times can be truly haunting. Case in point: tonight’s rendition of ‘Ghost Town’ sees the girls perform completely unplugged, eyes closed and on the edge of the stage. With the exception of a few leery stragglers in the background, the crowd stand in awe, slack-jawed and undoubtedly goose-bump riddled.

Neatly tied together with a couple of covers, including the pair’s infinitely impressive rendition of Fleet Foxes’ ‘Tiger Mountain Peasant Song’ – the song responsible for duo’s much-deserved surge of attention – the memory of this set will no doubt burn long into the night as everyone leaves, mesmerized and satisfied; now much better equipped to face the bitter cold.

Ryan Drever