Spacious and thoughtful country-folk

Palomino

First Aid Kit
Columbia, 2022.

I have a bit of a soft spot for the Swedish country-folk band First Aid Kit, since my sisters chose their 2012 song “Emmylou” for part of my wedding slideshow almost ten years ago. While I haven’t kept up with every album from bandmates and sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, I happened to listen to their most recent one, Palomino.

For an album named after a type of horse, this latest work has a fittingly spacious and rugged sound. Lyrics are shaped by themes of liberation and imagery is related to breaking free from constraints. “Angel” is a passionate meditation on anxiety and fear as well as an energetic rallying cry for a braver, more compassionate approach to oneself and others. “What has that fear ever done for me?/ What has jealousy and hate ever done for you / But remind you of what you think you lack?” ask its lyrics. Such questions echo those that can arise through moments of spiritual reflection and other thoughtful examinations of the heart.

As on some of their previous albums, there are tracks that namecheck musical artists who have served as sources of joy and inspiration. In the lively road-trip breakup song, “Wild Horses II,” for example, the thirty-something singer-songwriters mention The Rolling Stones and Gram Parsons. They demonstrate a playful reverence for their musical predecessors as they continue to carve out their own creative path and offer up their pleasant, dreamy harmonies.

Most of Palomino manages to evoke a light, carefree mood while highlighting the tension of time passing and relationships changing. The reflective, anthemic title track is reminiscent of a benediction of sorts with its powerful chorus of “Where you go, my love goes, darling/ I can hear the unknown road calling/ So let the winds carry you home, my darling/ For where I go, your love goes, darling.”

Palomino comes three years after First Aid Kit’s previous album, and it could be a rewarding listen for faithful fans as well as occasional or new followers. These introspective, warm and upbeat songs may be especially suitable for long drives on dusty roads or late nights in the countryside – settings in which it isn’t too hard to imagine the thunderous sound of hooves gracefully galloping on.