Tallest Man on Earth, Roundhouse

Sweden's Kristian Matsson returns with a fourth full-length release this year as The Tallest Man on Earth. Album after album has cemented his place as a songwriter of genuine distinction, and possessive of a voice of rare quality – the term 'Dylanesque' has had holes worn in it through overuse – and with his first UK show after the slated May release of Dark Bird is Home already sold out, it's clear Matsson has plenty of expectant fans to satisfy.
There's no reason to think he shouldn't be able to. 2012's There's No Leaving Now put an end to TMOE's adventures as a lone troubadour, filling out the sparse howling-and-picking of his previous efforts with strings and backing guitars (as on the beautiful 1904), but the sense of closeness between Matsson and his guitar, almost claustrophobic in its fluid intensity, remains – on the vast majority of his efforts to date, for which he is invariably both artist and producer, Matsson records guitar and voice simultaneously, seemingly unable to bring the same depth to either without the other.
There is something about this broadened production style that softens the slightly abrasive vocal style of early Tallest Man, as Matsson's unique drawl veers from Pete Seeger toward Arthur Russell or Justin Vernon. Compare the title track from 2010's The Wild Hunt (named for an ancient Germanic myth of a spectral hunting party that presages catastrophe) to the soft drawl of the later Criminals, however, and you see that over six years and three albums Matsson's career to date is not in truth remarkable for any development in style, but more for the accomplishment with which arrived with his 2008 debut Shallow Grave, and the consistent excellence of his song-writing from that point on. Barely any song falls flat, or comes across as anything other than a worthy effort to emulate the style and content of Matsson's American folk heroes.
Tickets for the Roundhouse show are likely to go the same way as those for his Koko show in June, so book now to avoid missing out on a performer of authentic quality, and a first look at his hotly-anticipated new material.