The Tallest Man on Earth- Shallow Grave

The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave
May 3rd 2008
Gravitation Records
Score: 7.8/10

Comparing any new artist to Bob Dylan is usually a very lazy attempt by the describer to say this person plays an acoustic guitar and has a unique singing voice. It usually isn't a very good idea to compare any artist to someone that legendary anyways. Calling Dr. Dog Beatle-esque does not make me want to listen to them any more since I already have Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road, and the like already in my record collection. But regardless of all this disdain of such generalizations when it comes to already legendary artists, the first word that has to come to mind when listening to Swedish songwriter, Kristian Matsson, absolutely has to be Dylan-esque.

The record opens with a rapidly finger-picked melody that leads me to think that he's simply covering “Don't Think Twice, It's Alright” but with different chords and lyrics. Where Do My Bluebirds Fly gives a wearied vocal performance with beautiful, longing lyrics that I'm sure symbolize something grand, but I'm not quite sure what. Honey Won't You Let Me In is another album stand out that reminds me of an odl folk standard by the name of Honey Allow Me One More Chance. I forget who sang it though. The entire album screams of lo-fi Neutral Milk Hotel-esque production standards and gives the record a very intimate feel like Matsson is in the room with you playing these songs for you.

Lyrically, this record is quite muddled. He seems to be a good lyricist, but it's hard to state that with full confidence as the lyrics are mostly nonsensical. Many of them are little tales with bluebirds and gardeners as main players. The lyrics are really secondary on this record though as his impassioned vocal delivery makes up for any perceived lyrical lackings. He makes whatever may be absurd seem perfectly logical and cohesive with his confident voice.

Although countless songwriters have tried to channel the vibe and energy that Dylan had when he first broke into the folk scene, few have made any notable records as they fail to stand out on their own. If imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery, then Dylan must feel very humbled over these past forty years. While only time will tell if the Tallest Man on Earth has a few more albums left of material this good and if he can carve his own niche in the folk world, I'll be more than happy to accept Shallow Grave for now. I just wonder if he'll go electric in a few years.