Live Review: LISTEN: The Tallest Man On Earth '1904'

WikiAnswers tells me Swedish singer songwriter Kristian Matsson is 5'7", meaning either WikiAnswers is broken or THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH stage name he goes by is meant to be an ironic reference to his modest stature.  Let's go with the latter.

As THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH, Matsson recently put the finishing touches on his latest LP There's No Leaving Now which has an official release marked for June 8th in Australia. Lead single '1904' picks up with his familiar folk-rooted strumming and that Dylan-esque croak of a voice which is especially reminiscent of the great man in some of the nasally stretched out vowels found here.

There's a hopeful warmth in the uptempo guitar work which compliments the echo-tinged vocals that have been turned up high and take focus.  Any specific meaning in the lyrics themselves, though, is difficult to unravel, which seem to exist more as a form of mildly interpretive poetry.

Matsson recently told Rolling Stone "I wanted to build something that didn't sound like a rock band, but wasn't super minimalistic" and this idea is played out in '1904's' added layer of twinkling electric guitar picking that helps to flesh out it's texture and depth.  The balance between stripped back and overcrowded is beautifully met and makes for a richly satisfying listen.  Great signs for what's to come.

Words by Brad Davies

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