The Tallest Man on Earth

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The Tallest Man On Earth is the new Midas of Swedish and Scandinavian folk; everything he touches turns to gold. Behind the moniker stands Kristian Matsson, though formally known as The Tallest Man On Earth. It could be argued that his third album, There's No Leaving Now (2012), solidified his crown as the king of folk music, although his fans already pleasantly surprised by his debut, Shallow Grave (2008), which un=ironically played with Dylan-esque influences and, in the era of "weird" folk, eschewed any sort of strangeness or obscurity, opting instead for straightforward melody.

The harmonica and fingerpicked guitar connected to timeless standards and then to 21st-century sensibilities. The achievements of Shallow Grave were furthered by The Wild Hunt (2010), which charted and expanded his audience. His penultimate studio album to date is Dark Bird Is Home (2015), recorded with a band — a departure from his previous solo works — and crafted around the story of his divorce.  

In 2018, he embarked on the project When The Bird Sees The Solid Ground, a series of five songs released in installments: An Ocean in March; Somewhere In The Mountains, Somewhere In New York in April; Forever Is A Very Long Time in August; Down In My Heart in August; and finally The I Won't Sing No More. Each song release was accompanied by a thematically related music video directed by Matsson himself.

In April 2023, he returned with his sixth album, Henry Street. Nick Sanborn has taken charge of its production, and contributions are also found from Ryan Gustafson (of The Dead Tongues) on guitar, lap steel, and ukulele, TJ Maiani on drums, CJ Camerieri (of Bon Iver) on trumpet and horn, Phil Cook on piano and organ, Rob Moose (of Bon Iver) on strings, and Adam Schatz on saxophone.

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