The First Miles
Aim for the heart, go!
Little Bad Bear

So last night Avi gave me The First Miles "Aim for the heart, go!" to review, sort of as a game, but good lordy, it turned so serious because this is like the best album I have gotten in ages and ages. I LOVE this folky/rocky/Americana album. The first time I listened to it, I immediately liked it. By the ninth or tenth time, I was pretty positive that I would play nothing else in my stereo for a couple of weeks at least. Jeppe Foldager's voice gets better and better with every listen, deep and sorrowful, but somehow always hopeful. Like he is smiling sweetly despite of a breaking heart - and well maybe he is, after all, this seems to be the theme of the album. "Aim" starts off with super catchy and poppy song that lures you in and makes you bop your head and smile and then you realize, "Oh. He's sad." But amazingly you are happy and you stay happy, dear listener, all the way through this musical journey of love and loss and longing. And you relate to it, because who hasn't felt the terror of loving someone so much that you just don't feel safe and sometimes you just need their reassurance? Because love is scary and committing to love is scary and yet, you do it and you don't give up. And there could be no better album to sum that up- sometimes quiet, sometimes forceful, always soulful, a voice so deep, guitars so smooth, and an occasional banjo so perfectly twanged. So you will listen to it over and over, like me. And, like me, you will find yourself at times introspective, at times just relaxed and simply loving the noises coming through your speakers, but always you will be smiling sweetly. The First Miles even manage to pull off a duet "Baby baby baby baby baby baby baby, I love you" in the middle of the album and I usually hate duets, but this song is amazing. Annemarie Jensen's voice is kinda quirky and Foldager's so deep and they balance each other out perfectly by not fitting but somehow fitting together perfectly and you just kinda think, "yeah, that IS love..." This album is incredible. And if you don't trust me, trust Avi. He likes it tons too.
- Kelly Hoover