Music Review: The Tallest Man on Earth

The Tallest Man on Earth: Shallow Grave
4 out of 5

Here's one I missed in 2008, and surely would have been one of my favorites of the year. I first read about The Tallest Man on Earth, AKA Kristian Matsson, a Swedish musician, in Paste, I believe. All I really remember about the article was the comparison to Bob Dylan, which of course seems a bit cliched, but they really pushed you to want to find out how much like Dylan he sounds. Well, I gotta say, he's pretty Dylanesque, although I honestly think his voice sounds more like John Prine, and his guitar work far surpasses both of those artists. Who he really reminds me of is Mason Jennings, because like Jennings' debut album, every song sounds like a favorite the first time. I think that is the mark of a great songwriter, and TMOE is that, for sure.

His voice is less than nothing special, but he is able to sing his simple, twisting melodies without much trouble, and his fingerpicked guitar marches along behind. I'm not going to lie, Ive listened to the album at least 5 or 6 times now, and I still haven't paid much attention to the lyrics, which is usually the first thing I do, but again, the lovely melodies and familiarity of each tune have made each song a winner. I especially like the opener, "I Won't Be Found," with its thrumbing guitar and TMOE's "huh's" annunciating the end of each line. It sounds like a lost classic, although I have almost no idea what it's supposed to be about. That song is followed by "Pistol Dreams," another beauty with just the guitar and simple melody. If there is a downside to the album, it would be that some of the songs that don't work instantly tend to slow down the breakneck pace of the hits. Overall, if you are a fan of simple folk I would highly recommend checking this one out.

Check out Aquarium Drunkard (great blog) for a few free songs.
Buy it on Amazon