The Tallest Man on Earth – Just Beyond Endless Mountain

Regardless of Kristian Matsson’s career trajectory or the quality of his output, however shaky his quivering croon, the Swedish troubadour will always occupy a special place in my heart. His wonderful 2010 record, The Wild Hunt, came out three days before my oldest son was born, and my immediate fondness for it has kept it forever linked to that special time in my life. The record I associate with my youngest son’s arrival is another classic: Mikal Cronin’s MCII.

As much as we try to be objective about music, timing and context can create such a densely tangled web around a record that it becomes impossible to unpick. But if The Wild Hunt benefits from some unique sort of protected status in my mind, the same doesn’t apply to Kristian Matsson. Indeed, surpassing his greatest work is something of a Sisyphean task—how do you follow a record that soundtracked someone’s greatest day?

Just Beyond Endless Mountain makes a valiant stab, to be fair. It’s exactly what you’d expect from Matsson: folky Americana, with a faintly Swedish heart.  Beautiful fingerpicked guitars and fiddles are the canvas for Matsson’s distinctive vocals, which oscillate between wobbly warbles, haunting howls, and gravelly growls. His voice might be an acquired taste, but I appreciate it.And the songs are good, too. While “Colors” is an early highlight, the clear standout has to be “Overboda,” the simply beautiful duet with fellow Swede, Sofia HK, who counters the harshness in Matsson’s vocal excellently. It’s such a winning combination that I’d happily sign up for a full album from this duo.

Just Beyond Endless Mountain is a fairly typical Tallest Man on Earth record. Matsson does what he does with minimal fuss, and he does it well. Is it better than The Wild Hunt? I don’t think so, but if it’s soundtracking someone’s life in a way that will endure 16 years or more then Matsson will have surely succeeded again.

Just Beyond Endless Mountain is out now via ANTI-.

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