Album Review: The Tallest Man On Earth - There’s No Leaving Now

The new LP from The Tallest Man On Earth (aka Kristian Mattson), There's No Leaving Now, is a continuation of the sound he showcased in his breakthrough 2010 record, The Wild Hunt. The same intricate finger-picked guitars, delightfully obtuse lyrics and obvious throwbacks to Dylan; for the most part it feels like any of these songs could have slipped quite happily onto that release.

Lead single, 1904, and likely future single Criminals contain a world-weary jauntiness that's almost impossible to dislike, while the slower, sadder strains of On Every Page and the piano-driven title track create a broad enough sonic palette to keep the album from drifting into dangerous consistency. Indeed, the most consistent aspect to the album is the quality of the songwriting and the performance. Mattson's voice is surprisingly melodic and he has the rare ability to communicate a great deal of emotion through a simple chord change. And while the production is a little smoother than his previous output, There's No Leaving Now is still recorded with the feel and immediacy of a live album, which makes for a very intimate listen.

For those who already like his previous output, this is going to be a largely welcome and welcoming release. There's only so long he can continue in this vein before it becomes self-pastiche, but for now it's reassuring to see an artist take a style that they do very well and continue to meet their own high standards. It seems particularly appropriate for Matsson, given the existing '60s allusions in his music, to revel in the sound of the past – his own and others.