Folk music folk

Behind a mesmerizing croaky voice, trusty guitar and potentially misleading moniker, The Tallest Man on Earth is a young man still in his 20s. Over the past year critics have repeatedly put him back-to-back with the American folk hero, musical legend and cat’s pajamas of songwriting, Bob Dylan. Here’s the catch:  This relatively new and already very popular folk musician was born and raised in Sweden. His name is Kristian Matsson. He is the Tallest Man on Earth.

His self-titled EP from 2006 turned out to be a very useful experience for the artist to expand on his ideas.  It became quite clear that Matsson’s debut full-length album “Shallow Grave,” released by Gravitational Records in 2008, would be a display of his talented musicianship. With impressively fast and accurate fingerpicking and singing captivating lyrics, Matsson created a record that connected audiences enough to build a safe fan base.

Released this past April on Dead Oceans, “The Wild Hunt” is The Tallest Man on Earth’s second LP. From really getting into performances when touring—at times playing until his fingers bleed from strumming with genuine force—to clearly putting his all into the vocals, Matsson sounds very confident, yet still hangs on to that unique, evoking feel in his voice. The intensity of this album is likely the driving force that made this work ‘the one;’ an album that not only expanded toward more audiences, but also grew Matsson’s presence as a respected folk musician. 

What’s even more important is that Dead Oceans recently released The Tallest Man on Earth’s second EP, “Sometimes the Blues is Just a Passing Bird.”  The EP has five tracks, all of which are worth a listen. Compared to the level of intensity on “The Wild Hunt,” this new EP is another fine example of the flexibility and skill Matsson possesses.

Coming out with great reviews right off the bat, “Sometimes the Blues is Just a Passing Bird” has a much calmer and nostalgic feel to it. Matsson is undoubtedly nodding to Dylan by committing to a slower finger picking style much like that of Dylan’s work on “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan,” especially in the classic song “Girl from the North Country.”

 The picking style and tone of the album aren’t the only things that Matsson had switched up a little bit. On the song “The Dreamer,” the familiar acoustic guitar is left in the case and his electric guitar comes out to make an unexpected, amazing combo with Matsson’s voice. The song is beautifully written and the electric guitar can’t help but be accepted as a wonderfully creative tool—evoking just enough emotion to sound perfect.

To write music with great instrumentals with descriptive and/or catchy lyrics is noteworthy, but Matsson makes such steps look and sound too easy. Listening to Matsson’s material, there is a sense that his music is more about getting back to the original roots of folk music and how it used to serve as a means of passing on stories or is simply entertaining.

After impressing critics with another solid chunk of work and adding to his rapidly growing collection of personal work, it seems that Matsson’s moniker isn’t misleading at all. In fact, it is quite telling of the direction he’s heading with his folk-revival taste and ability to write songs. I recommend supporting this rising talent by purchasing “Sometimes the Blues is Just a Passing Bird.” He definitely deserves it. ?