Style: Folk/Americana; compare to Bob Dylan, Nick Drake, the Avett Brothers
Top Tracks: “To Grow Away,” “Bright Lanterns,” “There’s No Leaving Now”
On There’s No Leaving Now, Swedish singer-songwriter Kristian Matsson, aka The Tallest Man on Earth, has embraced the melancholic acoustic ballad style of The Wild Hunt (2010). Matsson rounds out and deepens his old sound with layers of harmony, drums, baritone guitar, piano, woodwinds, and even a pedal steel. The result is a haunting collection of musings on the human condition. Some songs grieve loss of innocence, some contemplate eternity and the passage of time, and others humbly celebrate life’s small, good things. Between Matsson’s unconventional vocals and the overall mournful mood, however, perhaps There’s No Leaving Now is best enjoyed when savored in small doses.
