The Tallest Man on Earth
Dark Bird Is Home

Three years after the very good “There’s No Leaving Now,” the Swedish singer-songwriter Kristian Matsson, known as The Tallest Man On Earth, returns with this “Dark Bird Is Home.”

The first single that preceded the album, “Sagres,” already hinted at the direction Matsson would take with the album: no longer just guitar-voice pieces but a real supporting band, with percussion, piano, strings. The impression given to me by the first single was not thrilling; the song has a good melody and is absolutely enjoyable, but the addition of instruments beyond our acoustic guitar seems almost artificial, added in post-production and almost obscures the unmistakable voice of the singer-songwriter.

However, my love for this artist led me to eagerly await the release of the album to the point of pre-ordering it, and as soon as the vinyl arrived, I immediately put it on the turntable.

The first two tracks left me with the same impressions as the first single, good melodies but too many instruments creating a very artificial “wall of sound” that deprives the songs of much of the immediacy that made me love The Tallest Man.

With the third track, “Singers,” however, Kristian’s stylistic evolution seems to have succeeded greatly, and the track is one of the best of his career; the strings blend perfectly with the guitar and the broken voice of the Swedish minstrel, creating a truly memorable piece.

Fortunately, almost all the pieces that follow (except the aforementioned “Sagres”) appear well-constructed and without the “overproduced” air of the first two. Notable moments include the beautiful piano ballad “Little Nowhere Towns,” which contends for the title of best track on the album with “Singers,” “Timothy” where once again the strings create a beautiful atmosphere for the track, and the sunny “Beginners,” a track that would not be out of place in one of TTMOE’s early works.

In conclusion, The Tallest Man On Earth's change of direction was not drastic but nevertheless noteworthy, and although some tracks fail to express the full potential of the singer-songwriter, the album is still really enjoyable with some truly interesting insights that can only bode well for the future.

7/10