The Tallest Man On Earth created high expectations for himself with his first two albums and with his skilled live performances (if you haven’t, watch his NPR Tiny Desk Concert from after he released Shallow Grave). With his latest album, out now on Dead Oceans, The Tallest Man on Earth (Kristian Matsson) easily satisfies the expectations. On There’s No Leaving Now, The Tallest Man on Earth progresses his sound without alienating his long-time followers and expands his musical prowess.
With this album, Matsson shows off his diverse songwriting chops. While Matsson’s songs originally showcased his skillful guitar playing and unique voice nearly exclusively, he has since expanded his use of instrumentation to create fuller arrangements. One of the most notable additions to his sound on the latest album is his use of precisely plucked high notes on a clean channel electric guitar. This seemingly subtle addition gives “1904,” the single off the album, an ethereal quality, making it particularly memorable. Additions of nuances like this make There’s No Leaving Now an album worthy of endless spins, as Matsson displays his ability to alter his songwriting style.
The good news for long-time TTMOE fans is that there is still a strong remnant of the folkster that we first saw in Matsson. Fans of older songs like “The Gardner” or “The Wild Hunt” will delight in the return of Matsson’s loose strumming on his tinny sounding Guild guitar on the new song “Wind and Walls.” Matsson’s songwriting maturation and artistic exploration are significant but subtle, so he will keep his old fans while winning new ones.
Countless aspects of Matsson’s musical skill deserve praise on There’s No Leaving Now, but his vocals stand out the most. As mentioned earlier, the first release from TTMOE was intriguing because Matsson’s voice was prominent and unique. Comparisons to Bob Dylan abounded, and Matsson had what seemed like an ideal folk music voice. However, even his voice has been fine tuned. Perhaps he simply improved through incessant practice, but on There’s No Leaving Now, Matsson has smoothed his formerly gruff voice and improved his range. His vocals are now intriguing not only because they are unique, but also because they are becoming beautiful.
There’s No Leaving Now is another glowing piece of indie folk from Kristian Matsson, but the album means more than that. With songwriting prowess and artistic maturation prominently featured on three records, Matsson has solidified himself as the gold standard for contemporary singer songwriters.
