The Tallest Man On Earth – There’s No Leaving Now

The Tallest Man on Earth – There’s No Leaving Now (Dead Oceans)

On his third full-length as The Tallest Man on Earth, Swedish folk singer Kristian Matsson sticks for the most part to the basic formula that has served him so well up to now: earnest, Bob Dylan-esque vocals, abstract lyrics, furiously-strummed acoustic guitar and an overall aesthetic that harks back to the days of early American folk. What has changed changes a lot, though: Matsson got married, to fellow Swedish performer and frequent tour mate Amanda Bergman (Idiot Wind), and his latest offering was recorded at their home in Sweden over a leisurely five-month period. Accordingly, There’s No Leaving Now has a more relaxed and gentle vibe than any of his previous releases, but all that satisfaction has dulled some of the urgency that makes his best songs so impressive. As Aldous Huxley put it, ‘There is something curiously boring about somebody else’s happiness.’