The Tallest Man on Earth: Shallow Grave

In the twenty-first century, the classic “man and acoustic guitar folk album” formula seems to be a little bit forgotten. After all, this formula neared perfection during the twentieth century by many musicians including Nick Drake, Loudon Wainwright III, and most significantly, Bob Dylan, just to name a few. In recent years, Sam Beam of Iron and Wine worked with this blueprint but moved away from it with his 2007 release Shepherd’s Dog. And although Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago has been getting lots of (much deserved) praise this year, its final product features a menagerie of guitars, voices, drums, and sounds that certainly put it out of this simple formula of yesteryear. It might appear that there is nothing new the “man and acoustic guitar” template can offer music lovers in the new millennium. Kristian Matsson, performing under the moniker of The Tallest Man on Earth, soundly proves that wrong on his full-length debut, Shallow Grave. What is shocking about this is the fact that this man (who is of average height) seems to understand American folk music better than any other performer today and is from Sweden.

It’s difficult to listen to more than a few minutes of this record before the Bob Dylan comparisons begin to creep through the ears and into the mind. Matsson’s voice lies somewhere between early Dylan and Hank Williams Sr. (but with a twinge of indie rock in there for good measure) and his songs crackle and bristle with the creativity and energy heard on Dylan’s early folk albums. Most of these songs feature some lightning-quick, country-folk guitar plucking and picking with only three songs “Honey Won’t You Let Me In”, “The Gardener”, and “This Wind” featuring typical guitar strumming. And he strums those chords as if he were never going to get to play another song again. Each song features Matsson’s voice, some lo-fi hiss, and his masterful guitar playing with no percussion except what sounds like a rapid foot-stomp on “The Sparrow and the Medicine.” A banjo appears occasionally in the background and even as the primary instrument on two songs, which adds a hillbilly aspect to the record, furthering Matsson’s apparent familiarity with and understanding of certain strains of “American-born” music.

He sings in English with an accent that sounds like it is from the Mid-West or Southern United States. Much like Bob Dylan, Matsson writes many of his lyrics primarily on the sound and imagery of the words rather than their meaning. It is almost as if he is picking the words like he picks notes and chords for his guitar. Just like the notes, he desires words that sound good together, and these do. That is not to say that the lyrics are gibberish. They certainly form coherent sentences and thoughts, but it is probably a futile to try and understand the “meaning” in some of these songs. For instance in “Pistol Dreams” he sings, “Deep inside the orchard you will lead me by the skin of snakes/Throw me in the fire now, come on/ Throw me in the fire now, come on/Cause we will paint our house with water…” and so on. He sings about fire, blizzards, deserts, birds, graves, weathergirls, gardens, kerosene eyes, and the Serengeti, just to mention a few of his subjects. This is not a bad thing, in fact, it’s down right fun. Matsson is enjoying making these songs and as the listener begins to sing along on the second or third listen (which is sure to happen), they will revel in the lighthearted absurdity of these lyrics. Some of the songs do have discernible “meanings” and nearly all of them have the ability to strike an emotional chord within the listener.

The mood and tones of America found on Shallow Grave not only show up in the twangy guitar/voice combo and the content of the lyrics, but also in the freedom of the music. These songs are spirited and unencumbered. They seem to roll off Matsson’s tongue and fingers like water. The songs feel like they have open fields in which to breathe and move. And yet, there is an intimate atmosphere created on several tracks, most notably the title track. It includes birds chirping in the background and a claustrophobic echo in Matsson’s voice as if he were singing it from, well, a shallow grave.  There are themes of love and death running through Shallow Grave, and at the end of the day, a sense of pastoral peace. Matsson is digging into traditions of folk and a little bit of bluegrass and country here, all of which were born and raised in America, giving this album its vibrantly traditional sound.

This is not actually the first release by The Tallest Man on Earth. Matsson cut an eponymous EP in 2006, which, aside from being shorter and more lo-fi, is very much like this debut full length record. Yet, it is the songs on Shallow Grave that crackle with electric energy and demand the listener to sing along. Matsson has created an album that is emotive, diverting, and delightful. There really isn’t a bad song here, though a couple, “Shallow Grave” and “The Gardener”, seem to rise above the rest. He proves that he is a better student of some American forms of music than many Americans musicians today. While many lesser musicians might falter under the weight of the label of  ”the next Bob Dylan”, Matsson seems to actually merit it. He channels Dylan without trying to be Dylan, giving himself a unique voice that demands to be heard. Ultimately, Shallow Grave is a record that breathes new life into a seemingly-outdated formula and is one of the best recordings of 2008.

The Tallest Man on Earth
Shallow Grave
Gravitation, 2008
Rating: 4.5/5.0